Wolves
by BeyondTheClouds777
Summary: Hiccup is injured. While he's recovering, he has time to bond with his mother. (No longer a one-shot)
1. Chapter 1

**So, yeah, this is just some random one-shot idea I got while writing "Plasma Blast." Speaking of said story: I will be updating it a little later on. I just couldn't work on it while this idea was in my head, so now that this one's out, I should be working on "Plasma Blast" a lot more. Oh, on a side note, I have a poll up on my profile to figure out which story I'm going to write next. "To Help Your Leader" is going to be written for sure after I finish "Plasma Blast", so voting for it won't do any good, and if something else goes over it, I'm still going to write "To Help Your Leader" next. I have a reviewer who requested it, and the user has been waiting a long time for it, so I'm writing it for them. :) Anyways, enjoy "Wolves." If you guys want me to write another chapter to it, I probably could, just at the moment I don't know what I would write in another chapter, so it might take a while. :) Anyways, on with the story. You guys are awesome. XD! **

"You sure you saw something?" Astrid questioned as she and Hiccup walked through Raven Point.

"Positive," Hiccup answered with utmost confidence in his voice.

"Mmm hmm," said Astrid in disbelief. "Well, Hiccup, I don't see anything."

"Maybe they don't want to show themselves, Astrid," Hiccup reckoned out loud. "That could be the case."

"Or you could have just imagined the whole thing," Astrid pointed out.

"Or, they could just be hiding," Hiccup guessed.

"Hiding?" Astrid shook her head. "We are two Berkians, Hiccup. What's there to hide from?"

"I don't know," said Hiccup. "Shh, wait!" he said suddenly, putting his hand in front of Astrid to make sure she stopped.

"Hiccup, what are you-"

"Shh," he replied.

"Hi_ccup_-"

Hiccup put his hand over her mouth to silence her. "I heard something."

Astrid grabbed his hand and yanked it down. "Hic-"

"Shh," he ordered. This time, Astrid listened. She looked around Raven Point, suddenly wishing they had brought their dragons with them. It was completely dark, the full moon just barely giving off enough light.

Then, Astrid heard what Hiccup had. Growling. Loud, angry growling. It wasn't the growl of a dragon, though. Astrid could tell the difference. This was the growling of an animal hungry for killing others.

"Hiccup," Astrid whispered.

"I know," he said.

Then, they came into view. A pack of wolves emerged from the shadows of the trees and bushes, snarling and baring their fangs. Their fur was tattered from previous fights, and their eyes were piercing.

Hiccup drew Inferno and clicked it, allowing the fire to lap over the blade. The wolves growled at the flames, but didn't back down. They approached Astrid and Hiccup slowly. Astrid looked behind her, but more wolves were coming in that direction. They were slowly being surrounded by the wolf pack.

"Hiccup-"

"If you could _stop _saying my name, that would be _great_," said Hiccup. "Sorry, but I'm kinda trying to think of a plan."

"Please tell me it doesn't involve touching their noses and feeding them grass," said Astrid.

"What!?" said Hiccup. "No! These aren't _dragons_, Astrid."

One of the wolves approached a little faster than the rest, looking more confident than the others as well. It was bigger than the rest; probably ate more. The Alpha Wolf, Hiccup figured.

"Noooo, no!" said Hiccup, aiming Inferno straight at said wolf. "Back! Get back!"

The wolf stepped back one, but then continued on.

"GET. BACK!" Hiccup ordered, taking a step backwards as the wolf approached. "Don't make me tell you again! STAY. AWAY! GET AWAY!"

The wolf didn't listen. He continued to move in on the two Berkians, the other wolves closing in from every direction.

Astrid had long before drawn her axe, and was now holding it with both hands, keeping it out in front of her to ward off any wolves that decided she would make a tasty dinner. Astrid and Hiccup stood back to back, looking at the snarling wolves, who were closing in on their prey.

Then, all at once, the wolves pounced.

Hiccup moved out of the way just before the Alpha landed on top of him. He batted another wolf away with Inferno, lighting its coat on fire. He winced when the wolf started yapping and rolling around on the ground to put it out.

"Sorry," he said. "It's nothing personal."

He turned around and did it again to a different wolf. The wolf snarled and yapped miserably as it ran in circles, not smart enough to stop, drop and roll, but still hating the fire that burned through its fur and into its skin.

Astrid bashed wolves with the flat of her axe, knocking them either unconscious, or just simply batting them away like one would a baseball with a bat. The wolves stumbled around in a confused daze after each of Astrid's hits, and then either collapsed, or decided to take on Hiccup instead.

The wolves yipped and yapped in dismay as the Berkians continued fighting them off. Of course, Hiccup's fire and few blows to the head made the wolves angry enough to rip the bark off a tree with their fangs, and Astrid's skill with the axe makes them want to do nothing different, but the vicious animals knew they had the advantage in numbers. It was two, twenty year old Hooligans against an entire pack of savage, dangerous, bloodthirsty wolves.

"So how's that plan coming, Dragon Boy!?" Astrid shouted.

"Hilarious," Hiccup mumbled. "It's not coming, Astrid, you know that!"

"Hiccup!" shouted Astrid. "There's too many of them!"

"I know!" said Hiccup. "Might as well write it on my tombstone! Rest in peace There Were Too Many Of Them!"

"THAT'S NOT HELPING!"

Hiccup batted another wolf away with Inferno, and turned around just in time to see the Alpha Wolf about to pounce on Astrid.

"Astrid!" Hiccup exclaimed.

Looking back on what he did next, maybe it wasn't his best idea. He sheathed Inferno, and then tackled the wolf just before it attacked Astrid. Unfortunately, there was a hill; a large, steep hill. Hiccup and the wolf tumbled down it, rolling about a hundred times before finally coming to a stop at the bottom.

"Hiccup!" Astrid shouted.

Hiccup shook himself out of his daze and stood up. Mistake number one. The wolf Alpha was up before Hiccup, so the minute the young Chief was on his feet again, the wolf pounced on him head on, sending Hiccup falling right back down again.

The wolf snarled and tried to snap at the Berkian, standing on top of his chest. Hiccup wrapped his hands around the wolf's neck and pushed, trying to keep it away from him, but the wolf was stronger than he.

Desperate, Hiccup just barely drew Inferno in time to light it in the wolf's face. The wolf recoiled in shock, pawing its maw, and then getting ready to pounce again.

"HICCUP!" shouted Astrid.

Hiccup didn't have time to shout back. He locked eyes with the wolf just before it attacked. Hiccup turned around, not wanting to really kill the wolf, and ran. Mistake number two.

The wolf was faster than he was. Just before Hiccup got far, he sank his teeth into Hiccup's calf. He screamed as he dropped Inferno and fell on his front. As soon as possible, Hiccup flipped over on his back, and kicked the wolf right in the face with his metal leg. The wolf yelped and released Hiccup, but wasn't through with him yet.

The Alpha Wolf bared its teeth to attack again, and just as it did, Hiccup kicked it again with his prosthetic. The wolf was less taken back by this the second time, however, and was barely fazed. It pounced on Hiccup again, standing on his chest, snarling.

Hiccup screamed. He didn't know what else to do. He couldn't move; he couldn't fight. Inferno was who-knows-where, leaving Hiccup defenseless.

Just before the wolf ended Hiccup's life, something knocked it clear off the young Chief like someone would a golf ball while playing said sport, sending the wolf sprawling on its side a few feet away.

Astrid stood, gritting her teeth, holding her axe with both hands so hard her knuckles were white.

"Get out of here," she ordered the wolf.

The wolf stood up and shook itself out of its stupor, and then howled to the other members of its pack. The wolf turned and ran back into the forest of Raven Point, followed by the rest of the vicious creatures.

As soon as they were gone, Astrid dropped her axe and turned around to face Hiccup.

"Hiccup!" she shouted, kneeling down.

"I'm okay," Hiccup mumbled, sitting up with effort. "Yeah...just my leg."

"Your...oh man," said Astrid, her eyes gazing over Hiccup's injury. "Oooh man."

Hiccup nodded. "We...we should get back...to the village," he panted.

Astrid nodded. "You better believe we should," she said. She grabbed his arm and pulled it over her shoulder and then carefully pulled him to his feet. "Just...lean on me, okay?"

"I don't have the choice," said Hiccup.

"Just do it, Dragon Boy," said Astrid. She tried to be mad at him, but she just couldn't.

"Okay, milady," said Hiccup. "If you insist. So demanding..." he whispered with a smile.

"You better believe it," said Astrid.

Slowly and painfully, the two of them made their way back to the village and up to Hiccup's house.

When they get there, Hiccup allowed himself to slump against the Astrid while she took to kicking it since she was using both hands to keep Hiccup upright, shouting for Valka the whole time. Of course, Hiccup didn't think she should have been so extreme about it, but then again, he hadn't seen the injury; he hadn't dared look at it before, and he still was hesitant now.

Astrid, on the other hand, thought Hiccup wasn't being quite urgent enough. Of course, Hiccup was never one to complain; he seemed to enjoy hiding his pain from others, keeping them in a constant guessing game, but he still never took his own injuries too seriously.

He always got concerned with other people's injuries, though. Oh, paper cut? Wash it, bind it, make sure it doesn't get infected. Oh, vicious Alpha Wolf bit into my calf? Oh, I'll just walk it off.

I don't think so.

Right before Astrid could bang and holler for Valka again, the door opened. Valka stood in the doorway, looking to Astrid and then to Hiccup...

"Hiccup!" shouted Valka. She moved to his other side, pulled Hiccup's other arm over her shoulder and then helped Astrid take him inside and lay him down on the couch, since taking him up to his loft would be too challenging at that moment.

"What happened?" Valka asked as she rolled up Hiccup's pants leg to look at his injury.

"Wolves," said Astrid.

"Wolves!?" Valka repeated.

"Yeah," said Hiccup. He hissed through his teeth when Valka pressed a cloth to the wound. "They didn't like me very much."

"Needless to say," said Valka. "What are wolves doing on Berk?"  
>"I guess they've always been here," said Hiccup. "I've seen them a few times in the past..."<p>

"And you said _nothing_?" said Astrid.

"I thought I could have just seen a dragon," said Hiccup. "Besides, the first fifteen years of my life no one really cared what I had to say, or thought enough to listen."

"I'll be back in a minute," said Valka. "Don't move."

She stood up and walked into the kitchen, grabbing a pot, filling it with water, and then setting it to heat up over the fireplace.

After it warmed up, Valka poured some of its contents into a basin and brought it over, setting it down on the floor beside her. She grabbed a clean cloth and then let it sink in the water, absorbing the heated liquid. Then, Valka squeezed it out to drain any excess water and then gently cleaned Hiccup's leg with it.

Hiccup hissed through his teeth, but made no other noise to signify he was in pain. After Valka cleaned it, she wrapped it tightly in gauze and then rolled Hiccup's pants leg back over it.

"You're going to have to stay off your feet for a few days," said Valka.

"A few days!?" Hiccup shouted, sitting up suddenly. "Define 'a few'?"

"Four to five at least," said Valka.

"Four to five!?"

"Hiccup, what were you expecting?" said Astrid. "At least it's not as bad as that time you got yourself deliberately struck by lightning."

"He did WHAT!?" shouted Valka.

"Astrid!" Hiccup moaned. "She didn't know about the lightning incident!"

"Oh, well what about the time you broke your wrist?" said Astrid.

"What?" said Valka.

"Astrid..." said Hiccup.

"I still don't know how you managed it!" said Astrid.

"Astrid..." said Hiccup.

"I mean, you were just throwing an axe," said Astrid. "Well I guess it was two times your weight and you were sixteen but still-"

"ASTRID!" said Hiccup.

"I'm sorry, I'm confused," said Valka. "What about the lightning?"

"So..._someone _thought it was a good idea to stand on the top of a mast with a metal trident during a lightning storm," said Astrid.

"It was NOT my intention to get blasted by a lightning bolt!" said Hiccup. "The lightning just had _really really _bad timing. Besides, you know I had no choice that day. They were going to banish Toothless."

"Why?" said Valka.

"They thought he was the cause of the lightning," said Hiccup. "And so while most people were trying to get him banished, I developed a plan-"

"Hiccup Haddock: The human lightning rod."

"THAT wasn't part of the plan, Astrid, you know that!" said Hiccup.

"_I _know that," said Astrid, "but do _you_?"

"Hold up," said Valka. "You did what?"

"So, I was struck by lightning, but also proved Toothless' innocence, so in the end it was all okay," said Hiccup.

Valka offered a small, hesitant smile. "Well," she said, "you two have to tell me more one of these days. I missed a lot with you, Hiccup."

"I know," said Hiccup. "But you're here now, so that's okay too."

Valka smiled and stood. "I'm going to get some more gauze," she said. "Remember, Hiccup, stay off your feet for four to five days. No acceptions."

She turned and walked into another room. Astrid turned to Hiccup.

"I know what you're thinking," she said.

"What?" said Hiccup.

"You're thinking, _Riding dragons is technically staying off my feet,_" said Astrid with her trademark Hiccup Haddock impression.

"No!" said Hiccup. Pause. "Yes," he said.

"Knew it," said Astrid. She sighed. "Hiccup, you could have died. Do you understand that?"

"Yeah," said Hiccup. "Yeah, I do."

"You sure don't act like you do," said Astrid.

Hiccup sighed. "I just...don't like people worrying about me," he said. "I'm not really used to it yet."

The first fifteen years of his life, no one worried about him or really even cared about him (besides maybe Gobber). Even after five years, he was still rather new to the idea about mattering to people.

"Hiccup," said Astrid, "when I watched you tumble down the hill with that wolf I thought...I thought maybe you had died."

"Died?" said Hiccup. "Me?"

"Yes _you_," said Astrid. "You didn't answer me when I called your name. It...it terrified me, Hiccup. And then I heard you scream, and I knew you were alive, and then the wolf..."

"Astrid," said Hiccup.

"You were lucky," said Astrid. "Think about it. The wolf could have bitten you anywhere. You...be thankful it was only your leg."

"I am," said Hiccup. "Astrid-"

"You probably don't know what it's like to think your best friend is dead," said Astrid. "I do. I get it nearly every other day from you, Hiccup. Every time you step outside."

Hiccup shrugged. "I guess you're right," he said.

"Yes I am," said Astrid. "Promise me you won't go back and try to train the wolves."

"Try to train the...why would I do _that_?" said Hiccup.

"I don't know," said Astrid. "I never know with you, Hiccup. That's the problem. You're so unpredictable."

"What are you getting at, Astrid?" Hiccup asked.

"I can't lose you," said Astrid. "I was afraid you were killed, okay? And...I just couldn't imagine that happening. It's worse than anything else I could ever dream of."

"I'm not going anywhere, Astrid," said Hiccup. "I wouldn't dream of it. Ever."

"I know you wouldn't," said Astrid. "But no more wolves, please?"

Hiccup laughed. "No, I don't think I would like to see another wolf again," he said.

"Good," said Astrid. "Me neither."

They sat there in silence, watching the fire crackle and glow, casting dancing shadows against the walls. Shortly afterwards, Valka returned, and Astrid bared farewell to the Haddocks and then returned to her own house.

Valka sat down next to Hiccup. "Are you okay except for your leg?" she asked.

Hiccup nodded. "Fine," he said. "Astrid saved my life, Mom."

Valka nodded. "She's a good girl," she said. The two sat for a moment in silence before Valka spoke again. "You want to try to move to your loft?" she asked.

"I think I can manage," Hiccup nodded. He stood up and then, with Valka's help, walked carefully up the stairs and sat on his bed, leaning up against the headboard. Valka sat down next to him, and then saw something she hadn't seen for twenty years.

"I remember making this," she said, picking up the dragon toy that sat on top of the headboard. "I can't believe you kept it."

"Of course," said Hiccup. "It's my most prized possession. Well, that, and this."

He leaned over and pulled his helmet out from under the bed and handed it to his mother. Valka took it, and then looked at it.

"Hiccup...is this what I think it is?" She stopped and looked at Hiccup, a nervous smile on her face.

"Yes, it is," said Hiccup. "It was part of an...um..." He cleared his throat awkwardly. "'Matching set'."

Valka stared at him blankly for a moment. "Oh," she said, and then laughed. "And where's the other..."

She turned to Hiccup and saw he had bowed his head. She heard him sniff once and then go silent.

"Hiccup?" she asked hesitantly. Hiccup didn't respond.

Valka put her hand on his chin and lifted his head to look into his eyes. His emerald eyes were filled with tears, a few of them making their way down his cheeks.

"I miss him, Mom," he whispered.

Valka instantly knew who he was talking about. She pulled her son into a hug and held him there, letting her own tears fall.

"I know," said Valka. "I miss him too."

_**THE END**_


	2. Chapter 2

**Alright, so I got _quite a few _user asking me to continue this story, and continue this story I will! It won't be too long...maybe a few more chapters, you know...? I don't know. Also, it will be updated at random. I don't know how often. So, onwards and upwards, my brilliant readers! Have fun! :D **

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><p>It didn't take long for Hiccup to fall asleep, and it was no surprise to Valka when he did. Although he hadn't lost enough blood from his wound for it to be dangerous or fatal, it was still a rather good amount. Valka figured it had exhausted him.<p>

She untangled herself from his arms, which were wrapped around her body tightly, even though he was sleeping. Valka thought Hiccup was a bit clingy in his sleep, but of course, she hadn't seen him sleep very many times.

She laid him back down and pulled the blanket over her son, wiping the still blatant evidence of tears off his cheeks with her thumb. Even though he was a young man now (and not only that, but also the Chief of the village as well as _her _Chief), sometimes, she could still imagine him as the little infant she had left behind all those years ago.

She still felt guilty about it, often times, and she blamed herself for Stoick's death. If she hadn't stayed away, maybe her husband (and Hiccup's father) would never have been killed. When Hiccup was suffering over the loss of his father, Valka – more than ever – blamed herself.

She never dwelled on it too long, because she knew there was no changing what had happened. Regretting what had happened wasn't going to somehow bring Stoick _back_, so what was the point of mourning over it?

Of course, she mourned over _losing _Stoick. Whenever she went to sleep at night, she often laid awake for hours, thinking about all the times she had spent with her deceased husband; the day he proposed to her…their wedding day…all the best times. She mourned over the fact that she had got him back just to lose him again. She mourned over the fact that he was _gone_.

It was difficult to explain. She mourned over losing him, but she didn't mourn over regretting what he did. It was his decision, and he chose to save his son, whom he loved very much, displaying it with his last breath. She wished it hadn't ended like it had, but there was no point in regret.

After a few more moments of watching Hiccup sleep, Valka stood up and left to get some rest herself.

…

Astrid stood outside the Haddock residence early the next morning, knocking on the door multiple times, asking if Valka was up. She had hardly slept at all the previous night, just because she was worried. Sure, Hiccup had seemed fine, but it could have just been "seemed." She really didn't "know" if he was fine or not, and so she planned to figure it out for herself.

"Valka?" she called as she knocked once again. There was no response. "Are you awake?" She waited for a few moments, but nothing happened. Astrid turned around, walking away. She would go back later, after Valka woke up…

Astrid froze in her tracks when she heard the sound of footsteps going down a stairwell, followed by the door opening. "Oh, thanks, Val…" she began as she turned around, stopping when she saw that it wasn't Valka who had opened the doorway. "_Hiccup!" _she groaned as she stomped towards him. "What on _Earth_, Hiccup!"

And so it _was _Hiccup, standing in the doorway, leaning against the doorframe wearily. He offered her a smile as she stormed up to him angrily, her arms crossed. She stopped in front of him, tapping her foot impatiently.

"You're not supposed to be walking!" Astrid scolded him.

"I was bored," Hiccup said.

"You're _injured, _Hiccup," Astrid said. "You can't be up and walking around already. You need to rest."

"Rest…I'm tired of resting, Astrid," Hiccup said. "I'm supposed to be the Chief of this village, and I can't do that if I'm too busy sleeping."

"This 'Chief of the village' better get back in bed before I _make _him," Astrid said in a warning tone of voice.

"Are you _threatening _me, Astrid Hofferson?" Hiccup asked.

"Maybe I am, Hiccup Haddock," Astrid said. "Come on. Get back inside before I drag you in."

"How rude," Hiccup protested, but gave in. Astrid grabbed his arm with one of her hands, wrapping her other arm around his shoulders and leading him into the house. He was limping horribly, even with her helping him.

"How did you even manage to get down the _stairs_, Hiccup?" Astrid questioned, shaking her head.

"Well, I didn't kill myself in the attempt, so that's a big bonus for me," Hiccup responded.

"But how did you do it without waking your Mom…" As she and Hiccup walked back into the house, it was then that Astrid noticed Toothless wasn't in the main room. Snores permeated from the loft, and she looked up, catching an eyeful of sleeping black dragon. "…Or waking Toothless, either?" Astrid added after another moment.

"Very _quietly_," Hiccup said as if it were a carefully guarded secret.

"I'd punch you if you weren't already injured," Astrid said, sitting Hiccup down on the couch, taking a seat beside him afterwards.

"What's stopping you?" he asked. "It never stopped you before."

"I don't understand what you mean," Astrid said. She looked away thoughtfully, trying to recall whatever situations Hiccup was speaking of.

"The Red Death…" Hiccup said.

"You were in a coma for a week," Astrid said. "The healers said you were partially healed during that time. If you were in a lot of pain right after waking up, I wouldn't have punched you."

"I'm not in a lot of pain right _now_," Hiccup pointed out.

"Yeah…yes you are," Astrid argued. "Did you even see the look on your face while you were walking into the house? Yeah, you're in pain, Hiccup. Don't try to deny it."

"Did I see the look on my _face_?" Hiccup asked, confusion lacing his tone. "What does my face have to do with this?"

"More than you would realize," Astrid said. "I can read you like a book, Hiccup."

"Yeah…" Hiccup said. He turned to her, his expression dead serious. "But how well can you read?"

Astrid turned to him slowly, staring straight into his eyes. "Shut up," she said in a neutral tone.

"I'm just _asking_," Hiccup defended himself instantly, putting his hands up defensively.

"Well _stop it_," Astrid said.

"Whatever you say, milady," Hiccup said. "Is there anything else I can do for you, your royal highness?"

"Go to sleep," Astrid said.

"Well that wasn't what I expected," Hiccup said.

"Sleep, now," Astrid demanded.

Hiccup rolled his eyes, yet complied, laying back against the couch and falling asleep quickly. Astrid rolled her eyes, smiling, as she kissed his forehead in a way of a silent goodbye before she continued her day.

However, when she pulled away, her expression changed. She put her hand against Hiccup's forehead, frowning at what she found.

His forehead was hot.

Hiccup was burning up.


	3. Chapter 3

**Loopedy loopedy loopy, my name is Miss Sloopy. No, actually, my name is BeyondTheClouds777 and I am here to totally crush everyone with angst and cliffhangers and kill the main character multiple times- **

**Oops, wrong flashcard. Not supposed to be reading that one... **

**Yeah, sorry. So, I got inspiration for this fanfiction, and hopefully, it won't turn out to be a death!fic. I really don't think it will...really, this story is about Valka and Hiccup's Mother/Son bonding, and, well, a bit of Hiccstrid thrown in there don't hurt nuthin'. :) (Misspelled on purpose)**

**Shout-outs: **

**silverwolvesarecool: I'm glad you're liking it so far! You seem to like all my stories...:) **

**HiccupHaddockIII: I AM SO EVIL TO POOR HICCUP SOMETIMES! THANKS FOR LIKING IT! :D **

**midnightsky0612: "Uh oh" is right! :(**

**Guest (#1): Here's your new chapter! :D**

**Guest (#2): Sorry about the suspense! I'm updating now! :D **

**jackaroo126: WHOA, MADE-UP-WORDS, TERRIFYING! I MUST UPDATE! Thanks for your review! :D I always smile SO BIG when I see one in my email inbox. :) **

**dragonlovewater: EXACTLY! :D **

**Sarah and Bella: Nah, I don't think this will be a death!fic. I've done quite a few of those...and in answer to your question, in the last chapter while Hiccup and Astrid were talking and everything, Valka was still sleeping. :)**

**OTHER: So I did a lot of research on animal bites and diseases caused by animal bites, and found some interesting stuff, so if you ask in the future, yes, I did research it, and yes, I do know what I'm talking about. Or, at least I hope I do...hmmm...no, I'm just joking, I really honestly _DO _know what I'm taking about. If you guys have any ideas, too, that would be great. The more ideas I get, the faster I may update. :) Enjoy the chapter! :D **

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><p>"Hiccup…?" Astrid said, shaking him gently. He had a fever, and it was high. How had she not seen it before? The flush of his cheeks while the rest of his face was washed out by a sickly pallor along with the deep breaths he was taking should have made his illness obvious. However, she had been oblivious to it. She felt remarkably stupid and scornful of herself, yet kept from thinking about it too much. She had to make sure Hiccup hadn't fallen unconscious. That was what she was really worried about.<p>

"Hiccup, come on, you have to wake up," she tried again. For a few moments, she was afraid that he really _was _unconscious, and that he was sicker than she had thought. However, when Hiccup's eyes opened and he looked up at her, she was so relieved she could have cried.

"I don't get you," he said drowsily, squinting against the sunlight that filled the room. "One minute, you're yelling at me and ordering me to sleep, and then the next thing you know you're practically begging me to get up. I'll never understand that-"

"Hiccup, you have a fever," Astrid said blatantly.

Hiccup looked at her. "Oh, so _that's _why it's so hot in here," he said. He draped his arm over his forehead. "Uh-huh, fever…man…"

"I'm going to wake your mother up," Astrid said. She was still whispering, despite the fact that there wasn't anyone she was really planning on keeping asleep. She was going to wake Valka, and Toothless was bound to wake up another instant later. Astrid stood up from where she was seated on the couch, and then made for Valka's room. She stopped when she felt Hiccup's hand grab her wrist.

"No, don't…" he said pleadingly.

Astrid was just about to jerk away from him and go get Valka anyways, but something kept her from doing so. "Why?" she asked, just out of curiosity.

"She's…she's already so worried," Hiccup said quietly. "I don't want to burden her anymore than I already have…"

"Hiccup," Astrid said, sitting down next to him again, pulling his hand from her wrist so that his fingers entwined with hers. "Your mother wants to take care of you. I know she does. You're not a burden. She'd be more worried if we don't tell her than if we do."

"No…please," Hiccup said.

"I have to, Hiccup," Astrid said. "It's part of being a good friend. You're going to get worse unless you get some help, alright? Let me and your Mom help you. We want to."

Hiccup sighed, yet complied, nodding in silent confirmation. Before Astrid even had a chance to get to her feet again, they heard the sound of a door opening. Valka stepped into the main room, her eyes falling on Astrid and Hiccup. Astrid turned in the woman's direction. Valka must have been awake for at least a few minutes, because she didn't look like she had just woken up.

"Hiccup," she whispered, racing over to him and Astrid. Astrid moved out of the way, letting the mother get to her son easily. Valka put her hand against Hiccup's cheek, and then moved it to his forehead.

"Good _gosh_, Hiccup, you're burning _up_," she said. It was very plain to Hiccup and Astrid that she was trying to keep hysterics out of her voice, but she did a very poor job of it.

"Astrid," Valka said, "please, go fetch some water, and hurry."

Astrid nodded, grabbing a bucket by the door as she made a break for the well. Valka sat by Hiccup, carding her fingers through his hair, shushing his frequent whimpers with compassion only a mother would know towards their child.

"No, you don't have to get up, sweetheart," Valka said as Hiccup kept constantly trying to sit up and tell her that he was fine. She always shushed him before he got a word out. "You can just lay back."

"Mom, I don't know what's…wrong," Hiccup said. "I didn't…I didn't feel like this earlier..."

"Shhhh, you don't have to try and explain yourself," Valka said. "You didn't do anything. I _do _want you to rest, though. Astrid will be back soon, and then we can work on getting your fever down, alright?"

Hiccup nodded, laying back. A few minutes later, he shot into a sitting position abruptly. Valka was about to push him back against the bed again, but Hiccup stopped her.

"Mom," he said, his voice strained, "I'm gonna…gonna…"

Before Valka could ask what he meant, she figured it out. The arm Hiccup had wrapped around his stomach made it clear as day. Valka stood up abruptly, grabbing another bucket set by the door before returning, putting it in front of Hiccup. Almost instantly, he grabbed the bucket and expelled into it. Valka rubbed his back, whispering soothing nothings in an attempt to calm him.

Hiccup coughed in between heaves, his entire body shaking. The door opened, and Astrid stepped in the house, a water bucket dangling from the grip of her hand. Her eyes widened at Hiccup's condition, and she hurried over, setting down the bucket by the couch.

"He wasn't like this when I left," Astrid said. Valka looked at the girl with concern in her eyes, and Astrid met her gaze. "Does this mean he's getting worse?" she asked quietly.

"I don't know," Valka admitted. Hiccup coughed violently, and Valka patted his back in an attempt to help stop his choking. He fell against her wearily, nuzzling his head underneath his mother's chin. Valka reacted accordingly, wrapping her arms around Hiccup's shaking frame and kissing his forehead gently.

"Should I go get a healer?" Astrid asked.

"No…no h-healer…" Hiccup said. "P-please…pl-please n-no healer…"

"Hiccup, you need a healer to look over you, son," Valka said. "You're very sick."

"Please…Mom," Hiccup said. "Don…don't want…the village to…f-find out…n-not yet…_please_…"

The desperate, pleading tone of his voice nearly broke Valka's and Astrid's hearts alike. Neither of them were used to hearing Hiccup sound so broken. Valka looked at Astrid, who then nodded silently.

"Alright, Hiccup," Valka said finally. "We'll do what we can, but if you don't show signs of improvement by tomorrow, then I'm sending for a healer, alright?"

Hiccup nodded against her neck. "T-thanks…" he said, just before falling asleep, cradled in his mother's comforting embrace.

"What do I do to help?" Astrid asked.

"Start by asking Gobber to take over as far as running the village goes," Valka said. "Tell him not to tell anyone else of Hiccup's condition. No need to spread panic. It's not what Hiccup wants. And then…well, come back when you've finished that, and we'll discuss what to do next."

Astrid nodded. As she left, she closed the curtains so that the house was darkened and no one could look in. Then, she left, hoping that when she returned, Hiccup wouldn't be even worse.


	4. Chapter 4

**Hello all you people who are awesomer than me, here is chapter 4! Shout-outs the next chapter! Also, I need some ideas for this story, so if you have any, give 'em here! :D I might update faster...I probably won't use all of them, but yes, ideas are good. :) Enjoy chapter 4! :D **

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><p>Astrid found Gobber pounding away at the forge, singing the song he only sang when he was "really happy" (according to Hiccup, anyways). She ran straight into the forge with a loud shout of "Gobber!"<p>

Almost instantly, the sound of metal against metal stopped, and Gobber walked towards her, unscrewing his hammer hand and putting on his hook instead.

"Good mornin', lass!" Gobber greeted. Astrid panted, short of breath from her run over. "Is somethin' wrong?"

"Yes," Astrid said between gasps, putting one hand towards Gobber when he took a step forward. After a few seconds, Astrid regained her breath enough to speak in full sentences without gasping every few words. "You need to take up acting Chief today, if you could," she said. Then, she paused; Gobber…as acting _Chief? _She remembered the time Gobber had helped – "helped" – Stoick with his duties as chieftain. It hadn't ended well…

"With Fishlegs," Astrid added hastily. She knew that Fishlegs was another great choice, since he thought reasonably and used his brain.

"What's the matter, lassie?" Gobber asked. "Is somethin' wrong with Hiccup?"

"Yes," Astrid said. "He was injured yesterday, and now he's sick."

"Ah, poor lad," Gobber said sympathetically.

"Yeah," Astrid agreed. "And if you could keep it just between you, Fishlegs, me, and the Haddocks, that would be great. We're not announcing it to the village yet…for _obvious _reasons."

"Right," Gobber said. "Don't want the entire village on his doorstep demandin' to be told what's happenin'. Sure, Astrid, I'm always glad to give Hiccup a hand."

"Thank you, Gobber," Astrid said, breathing a sigh of relief.

"You don't have to thank me," Gobber said. "I'll let Fishlegs know."

Astrid nodded, just before she ran off again, back towards the Haddock residence to help Valka with whatever she could.

When she opened the door, she found Hiccup leaning over the bucket again, coughing and gagging. It looked as though he were in pain, his breathing raspy and wheezy.

"Shhhh, shhhh, it's alright," Valka soothed, pressing a cloth against Hiccup's forehead, holding it in place while he was sitting up. Valka looked over at Astrid.

"His fever spiked," she said urgently. "I need to find some herbs to try and help bring it down. All his shivering is driving it up."

"S-sorry, Mom…" Hiccup whispered. Valka pressed the cloth against his head after re-wetting it, shushing him softly.

"Shhhh, it's not your fault," she said. "Don't blame yourself, sweetheart. Don't do that."

"Where are the herbs, Valka?" Astrid asked.

"One of the cabinets, if I have any on hand," Valka answered, nodding in the direction in which she spoke of. Astrid instantly spun around and opened the nearest cabinet, searching for the herbs Valka had spoken of.

"What do they look like, Valka?" Astrid asked.

"They look like rosemary, with a very interesting smell," Valka said in response.

Astrid searched in earnest for another five minutes, coming with no conclusion. "I can't find them, Valka," she said, walking back towards Hiccup's mother. "Where can I get them?"

"I'll get them if you stay with Hiccup," Valka said.

"Oh," Astrid said. Valka didn't look thrilled about having to leave. After all, what mother wants to leave their son while they're sick? "Are you sure I can't do it?"

"Positive," Valka said. "I already know where to find them, so it will take longer for me to explain and write out a list then it will to actually find them. There are a number of herbs that will help, and I think I should get as many as possible."

Astrid nodded. "I'll stay with Hiccup while you go," she said.

"Thank you, Astrid," Valka said in response, relief coating her voice. She carefully untangled herself from Hiccup's limbs, laid him back down and then stood up, letting Astrid take her place on the couch.

"Take care of him, Astrid," the older woman said.

Astrid looked up at her and nodded. "You know I will," she replied. Valka nodded offhandedly, already running towards the door. She opened it and ran outside, shutting it behind her. Astrid re-wet the rag – it was already feeling humid due to Hiccup's rising fever – and then placed it back on his forehead. She took his hand in hers, and then noticed that although his forehead was burning, his hand was freezing. She rubbed her thumbs over his knuckles, breathing onto his hand in an attempt to warm it up. However, it wasn't getting any better. He still felt ice cold; all but his forehead.

Astrid bit her lip. She didn't know what to do. She was torn between taking the blanket off and throwing another one on. In the end, when Hiccup's shivering finally got to her, she stood up and went up to Hiccup's room.

As soon as she got there, she was slammed into by a blob of black scales. Toothless growled at her momentarily, until he turned and bounded down the staircase. Astrid decided to ignore the Night Fury for the time being. A blanket, yes, she was looking for a blanket.

She grabbed the one off Hiccup's bed and raced back downstairs with it. Toothless breathed plasma into the hearth, making the flames rise higher. He must have nudged Hiccup at some point and felt his body temperature, and was trying to react accordingly.

Unfortunately, Astrid didn't know whether they should have been making the room warmer or colder.

Astrid threw the blanket over Hiccup and then tucked it around him. Afterwards, she soaked the rag once more and put it back on his forehead, reaching under the covers for his hand.

Toothless crooned sadly, watching Astrid and his rider with concern in his eyes. Astrid turned her head to look at the dragon, and then nodded. Toothless' ears perked up, and he approached the bedside, laying his head on Hiccup's chest, purrs erupting from his throat.

Astrid reached over and grabbed Hiccup's other hand, holding both in her own two hands, rubbing them together. After a while, warmth began to return, even if slightly. It was strange; keeping a cloth on Hiccup's forehead to make his fever stayed low while at the same time trying to warm the ailing boy up.

Astrid waited for Valka to return, hoping that the herbs helped Hiccup, because so far, his fever was _not _going down.

In fact, it seemed to be going _up_.


	5. Chapter 5

**Hello! This is my second chapter update today...I did one earlier. And now, as I promised...SHOUT-OUTS! :D **

**HiccupHaddockIII: I know! Poor Hiccup! Why must I be so EVIL to him!? I'm glad you seem to like the story so far! I love getting feedback from my readers. :) **

**midnightsky0612: I KNOW! I AM SO EVIL! *cries* **

**Kuronique Misaki: Thanks so much! I'm so glad you like it so far! :D It makes me smile like a fool whenever I get reviews. :D **

**OTHER: This fanfiction is actually probably going to go over ten chapters. Funny, it was supposed to be a one-shot, but I got inspiration, and then BAM!: ten chapters. I don't know how that works! *shrugs* Enjoy chapter 5! :D **

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><p>Astrid was worried like one wouldn't believe about Hiccup. He was shivering violently from chills that wracked his frame, and it seemed no matter how hard she tried, she just couldn't break his fever. She really hoped that Valka got back soon. Hiccup needed the herbs badly.<p>

At length, Astrid couldn't handle just watching him shiver while doing nothing besides holding his hand. She switched positions and then lifted Hiccup's head into her lap, brushing his bangs from his face in a soothing manner. Really, she didn't know what else to do. She felt helpless. She hated feeling helpless.

Valka ran through the door, kicking it shut behind her without pausing or turning around. Astrid turned towards her, but said nothing. After Valka didn't return the gaze, Astrid returned her focus to Hiccup.

Meanwhile, Valka heated water, crushed the herbs into it, and then made it back to Hiccup's side.

"We should probably move him back to his room," Valka said as she stirred the steaming contents of the bowl. She found a cup, poured the liquid into it, and then shook Hiccup gently.

He mumbled something incoherent, and then opened his eyes. They were glazed over and slightly unfocused, but he looked at both Astrid and his mother regardless.

"Astrid…" he said, looking up at her as she leaned over him. "Mom…"

"Yes, Hiccup, it's alright," Valka said, helping him sit up. "Here," she said as she curled his fingers around the cup, putting her hand over his in an attempt to stop his frequent shaking. "Drink this. Careful, it's hot."

"W-what is it?" Hiccup asked.

"Yarrow, peppermint, and elderberry flowers," Valka said. "The yarrow and elderberry flowers will help your fever, and the peppermint will help your nausea and your fever as well. Drink it slowly, though. We don't want you throwing up again."

Hiccup nodded, sipping the herbal drink. Astrid rubbed his back while Valka kept her hands around Hiccup's. After about five minutes, once the contents of the cup had been downed, Valka took the cup and set it aside.

"Do you think you can walk to your room, Hiccup?" Valka asked.

"Yeah…I-I think so," Hiccup responded, nodding his head.

"Alright," Valka said, putting her arm around Hiccup's shoulders. Astrid stood up, ready to assist in any way possible. Valka helped Hiccup to a stand and then lead him upstairs, Toothless in tow, Astrid grabbing the discarded blankets before following as well. Hiccup limped, and would have fallen multiple times if he didn't have Valka helping him. Once they reached the loft, Valka helped Hiccup lay down on his bed, and Astrid put the blankets over him. Toothless sat by the bed, cooing sadly at his sick rider. Hiccup put his hand on his dragon's head weakly, smiling unconvincingly.

"I'll be okay, buddy," he said. "It's just a fever."

Valka and Astrid exchanged worried glances, but said nothing. What was to be said? Neither of them knew just how sick he was, and neither of them were too excited about finding out.

"Why's he sick all of a sudden?" Astrid asked Valka in a whisper so Hiccup wouldn't hear her. Not that he was paying attention. He was scratching Toothless behind the dragon's ear, smiling slightly. "Do you think this happened because we didn't dress the wound properly?"

That was it; Astrid spoke the words Valka had been dreading. If the wolf that bit Hiccup carried some sort of disease…

"You have to tell me what happened from start to end," Valka said, glancing over at the bed while Hiccup drifted off to a fitful sleep. "Anything you can remember."

"Well…the wolves didn't exactly seem too afraid of approaching us," Astrid said. "And Hiccup had Inferno. As far as I know, wolves don't usually go towards fire if they can avoid it, _and _they attacked us first."

"So they attacked you?" Valka said. "You posed as no threat? They just up and attacked?"

"That's about it," Astrid said.

"Wolves don't usually do that," Valka said. "They don't normally attack people, and they also don't usually go towards fire."

"So…what are you saying?" Astrid asked, although she already knew the answer. She just didn't want to think about it.

"The wolf pack carried a disease," Valka said, glancing over at Hiccup to make sure he was still sleeping and not listening to their conversation. "I don't know which one yet, but either way, it's not good."

"What do we do?" Astrid asked.

"We should keep doing what we're doing," Valka said. "I'll try to get Hiccup to eat some broth, and then we'll send for a healer tomorrow if he doesn't improve by then. I honestly don't know what else there is to be done."

As much as Astrid wished to deny it, she knew that Valka was right. They just needed to keep Hiccup safe, make sure he was resting, eating, staying hydrated, and also keep his fever from going up. Those were all probably the most important things.

"Alright," Astrid said. "What can I do to help?"


	6. Chapter 6

**Hello, everyone! It's me back with another chapter! **

**I had someone ask which leg Hiccup was bitten on, and it was his right one (not his prosthetic one). So, yeah, hopefully it clears it up. :) Shout-outs next chapter. :D Enjoy! **

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><p>"I hope this soup turns out to be edible…"<p>

Astrid frowned as she reread her recipe. She knew she wasn't the best cook due to the fact that for Snoggletog one year, they had a Yaknog drinking contest, and Astrid won, but tasted her own terrible concoction. Since then, she hasn't trusted her own cooking, and now Valka had asked her to make something for Hiccup. She really hoped she didn't ruin it.

"Garlic, broth…I have _no idea _what I'm doing here," she said, slamming the book down on the table in frustration. She could wield a sword, ride a dragon, fight Outcasts like there was no tomorrow, but she _couldn't _make something as simple as _soup_.

She was just about to try again, when there was a knock at the door. At first, Astrid panicked. Oh no. What if someone needed Hiccup? She couldn't let them find out how sick he was, because then, they were bound to spread the news, and Astrid didn't want that.

She thought it out in her head: She'll open the door, tell them to ask Fishlegs and Gobber for whatever they needed help with, and then close the door and act like nothing ever happened. Perfect. It would work like a charm. So, she approached the door, grabbed the handle, and swung it open.

She started talking without even looking to see who it was: "Please, I ask that you direct your questions to Gobber or…" She paused, finally seeing just who it was at the door. "Fishlegs?" she asked.

And so it _was_ Fishlegs. He was standing with Meatlug behind him, twiddling his fingers uneasily, as if he were nervous.

"What are you doing here?" Astrid asked calmly.

"Gobber told me Hiccup was sick," Fishlegs said. He reached into the satchel he carried, pulling a small bottle out of it and handing it to Astrid. She took it from him, examining it in her fingers. It was a clear bottle, and the liquid inside of it was clear, but looked a mix of green and purple and white.

"My mother's remedy," Fishlegs said. There was pride in his voice. "It always works when I'm sick. What's Hiccup got?"

"Fever, mainly," Astrid said. "A bit of nausea here and there, but yeah, the fever's the biggest thing."

"Oh, well, this'll work for both," Fishlegs said.

"Nice," Astrid said. "Thank you, Fishlegs. Do you wanna come in for a minute?" In honesty, she was wondering how the village was holding together with Fishlegs and Gobber running it. Plus, she wanted to hear some news outside, see how the other dragon riders were.

"Um…sure," Fishlegs said, stepping into the house, giving Meatlug orders to sit outside and wait for him. Astrid shut the door behind herself and Fishlegs, spinning around and offering Fishlegs a seat once she finished. Fishlegs sat on a stool, and Astrid sat across from him.

"So, how's the village?" Astrid asked.

"Very good, actually," Fishlegs said. "I gave Gobber the easier jobs so it doesn't end up like it did last time, and he's doing them without a word else wise, so I suppose we're doing good, yeah. What about you? How's Hiccup?"

"He's pretty sick, Fishlegs," Astrid said. "He's sleeping right now. Valka and Toothless are with him."

"Do you know how he got sick in the first place?" Fishlegs asked. "Is it a contagious disease? By chance, do you think it could be Eel Pox?"

"No, it's not Eel Pox," Astrid said.

"Then what is it?" Fishlegs asked.

"It's a long story, and we don't really know for sure, but we think we have a good idea," Astrid said.

"What is it?" Fishlegs asked.

"Well, last night," Astrid said, "Hiccup told me that he found something strange in the forest. He heard some sort of…undragon growl, apparently, and asked me to come look with him. So, I did, and the entire time, I nagged him and nagged him constantly, and then, well…it turns out he was right."

"What did you find?" Fishlegs asked, leaning forward, interest sparkling in his eyes. "Was it a new dragon species?"

"No, even though it would have been easier to take care of if it were," Astrid said. "It was a pack of wolves. An entire pack of them, Fishlegs. They weren't small wolves, either. They were big. Bigger than usual."

"Wolves? On Berk?" Fishlegs asked. "I've never seen them before."

"That's what I thought," Astrid said. "But they're there, nonetheless, and there's nothing we can do about it. So, anyways, they attacked us…"

"_They_ attacked _you_?" Fishlegs questioned. "Wolves don't normally do that."

"Yeah, Valka pointed that out earlier," Astrid said. "So, we were fighting off wolves, right?"

"Right," Fishlegs agreed.

"Right," Astrid said. "And then…I really don't know. I heard Hiccup shout my name, and the next thing I know, Hiccup and the wolf are tumbling down a hill at full speed."

"Oh…Thor…" Fishlegs said.

"I know," Astrid said. "I thought he was dead, or unconscious for a while, but then he screamed, and I attacked the wolf, got it away from Hiccup, and then it and its pack disappeared again into the forest. But…the wolf bit Hiccup."

"It bit him," Fishlegs repeated as if he had heard her wrong. Astrid nodded. "So, are you thinking that the wolf carried a sickness, or something?" Fishlegs asked.

Astrid sighed. "Sadly, that's _exactly_ what Valka and I are thinking," she said, looking down at the floorboards. "Wolves normally don't attack humans, and they don't normally go towards fire, either. Hiccup had Inferno."

"I _assumed_," Fishlegs said. He was breathing hard, his face covered in disbelief. "Poor Hiccup!" he said. "Is there anything I can do to help you guys?"

"You're already being a huge help to us by taking care of the village," Astrid said.

"Well, yes, but is there anything else?" Fishlegs said. "Anything at all, Astrid? Please, I want to help."

Astrid paused, thinking it over for a moment. "Well," she said, "how good are you at making soup?"


	7. Chapter 7

**Hello! :D Shout-outs: **

**xFaerieValkyriex: WE GET A PREVIEW AND OMGOODNESS I AM SOOOOOOO EXCITED! I've been waiting for a new season since HTTYD2 first came out, and FINALLY! WHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOYIIIIIISSSSS! Sorry, I fangirl a lot...XD I took a cooking class a few years ago with some friends of mine. I like cooking. :D**

**silverwolvesarecool: WHOA, NOPE. NOPE, NO WEREWOLVES, I PROMISE! :D And I don't think Hiccup's going to have rabies, because so far, I've read that hardly anyone survives from rabies, and when they do, they need a special medicine for it, which I don't think the Berkians have...but you'll have to wait and see! :D (Yeah, no rabies)**

**ADayWithNoLaughterIsADayWasted: Thanks! :D**

**midnightsky0612: Brilliant idea, Astrid. :D **

**meladi1: Yeah, let Fishlegs do it, Astrid. Wise decision. :D **

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><p>Fishlegs was more than happy to help Astrid. He helped Astrid make the soup (it was more Fishlegs doing everything than helping Astrid do it), and then bid her farewell afterwards, telling her as he left that one spoonful of the medicine a day for Hiccup would bring down his fever after two days. Astrid thanked him as he left for all his help, and then shut the door behind him as he left.<p>

Then, she grabbed a spoon and the medicine, and made her way upstairs. Valka was sitting on the edge of the bed, dabbing Hiccup's forehead with a cloth, wiping away the sweat that was covering his face like a thin sheet. Astrid approached the bedside, pausing a moment to look at Hiccup and Valka each before she spoke.

"Fishlegs came over," Astrid said.

"I know, I heard him," Valka said. "What did he say?"

"He gave us this for Hiccup," Astrid said, handing Valka the bottle. Valka took it from her, looking it over. "It's to bring down his fever," Astrid explained. "Fishlegs said one spoonful a day for two days, and the fever should be gone."

"Alright," Valka said, nodding as she uncorked the bottle. Astrid handed her the spoon, and she poured enough of the medicine into it to fill it. She set the bottle on Hiccup's desk and then scooted closed to her son, putting one of her hands on the top of his head while her other hand brought the spoon to his mouth. He swallowed the medicine without much of a problem in his half-awake-state, and for that, Astrid and Valka were relieved.

"Did you have a chance to make any soup?" Valka asked.

"I did," Astrid said. "Would you like me to go bring a bowl up here?"

"In a few minutes, maybe, thank you, Astrid," Valka said. "We'll wait until he wakes up. He needs all the rest he can get."

Astrid nodded. She understood that.

The rest of the day consisted of nothing of importance. Hiccup woke up long enough to eat a bowl of soup, and then a few hours later, it made a reappearance when he was sick. Valka and Astrid watched over him constantly, and when Valka left to do something, Astrid stayed with Hiccup, and when Astrid left, Valka stayed with him. Toothless waited on his stone slab sadly, wishing that there was more he could have done for his rider. He knew that Astrid and Valka were taking care of him, and he trusted them both.

By nightfall, Astrid and Valka were both exhausted. Astrid was sitting at Hiccup's bedside, holding his hand while Valka put out the hearth downstairs. When the woman made it up to her son's loft once again, she was greeted by Astrid looking ready to keel over in exhaustion.

"Astrid, you can go home and rest if you want," Valka said, putting her hand on Astrid's shoulder.

Astrid glanced up at her, and then shook her head feverishly. "No, I want to stay," she said. "I'll be alright."

"Astrid," Valka said, "you need to go get some sleep. I'll take care of him. You can come back tomorrow if you want to."

Astrid looked up at Valka, and then back at Hiccup. It took a few minutes, but she nodded, rising to a stand. She leaned over her friend and kissed his sweaty forehead, whispering, "I'll be back tomorrow, I promise" before turning, bidding Valka goodnight, and heading off. Valka, once Astrid was gone, sat down beside Hiccup on the bed, re-wetting a cloth to put back on his forehead.

"Oh Hiccup…" she whispered. "How did I let this happen to you?" She couldn't help but blame herself; it was her natural response when something happened to her child. During the battle with the Bewilderbeast, when the Alpha froze Hiccup and Toothless in that large chunk of ice, she was certain that her son had been killed. It was it. She had been sure that she had been the one to bring Hiccup to his doom. But then Toothless broke the ice, and Hiccup was alive.

Now, though, it wasn't as easy as just breaking through a cavern of ice. Now, Hiccup was sick, and Valka didn't know what she was to do in order to make him well again. She hadn't known him for that long, either. She hardly knew him at all. She needed more time. She needed more time to make up for the twenty years in which he lived his life believing his mother had been killed by dragons. She needed to make it up to him.

Maybe she was doing that, by taking care of him while he was ill. She was catching up on the childhood she had missed, taking care of her not-so-little boy (in Valka's motherly mind, though, Hiccup was still her little baby), helping soothe his fever, telling him constantly that it was alright, and that he would be alright, and that she was there with him and for him, and that she wasn't going to leave.

She stayed with him, keeping his forehead cool until his eyes flickered open. He regarded her drowsily, his eyes unfocused and glassy due to the fever he still sprouted.

"Mom," he rasped.

"Hiccup," Valka said. She was whispering, although she wasn't one hundred percent sure why. "Are you alright?" Maybe it was a stupid question, but Valka didn't know what else to say. Plus, she wanted to know just what it was Hiccup was feeling.

"I don't know…" Hiccup said quietly. Valka moved the rag from his forehead to his cheek, wiping sweat off his face. "I don't exactly feel alright…"

Valka didn't respond. Instead, she kissed his forehead, running her fingers through his hair.

"I'm sorry you're sick, son," Valka said.

"S'alright…" Hiccup said. "Not your fault."

Valka decided not to argue, although she felt as though it were _entirely _her fault, despite the fact that it wasn't at all, and that Hiccup was right. Hiccup's eyelids fluttered, as if he were struggling to keep them open.

"Don't fight it, Hiccup," Valka said. "Just sleep."

Hiccup nodded, doing as his mother had said.


	8. Chapter 8

**Okay, so, there is going to be A LOT (and I mean A LOOOOOOOTTTT) of Mother/Son fluff in this chapter. Sorry, I just really love Valka and Hiccup's relationship, especially since Valka was gone for twenty years, and Hiccup doesn't even know what it's like to have a mother and it's both strange and amazing to him at the same time and I just. **

**FANGIRL. :D **

**I have a joke! Why are fangirls so odd? Because we can't even **

**HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHA! Some of you will get it, some of you will probably be like "Whut?" But yeah, I like jokes, I like Mother/Son bonding, and I like updating my stories! So, here's chapter 8! :D **

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><p><em>Hiccup stood, backing away from Toothless. The dragon's eyes were narrowed into slits, and he approached his rider, his teeth unsheathed, snarls permeating from his throat. <em>

_ "Toothless!" Hiccup shouted. "What's the matter with you!? No…no, no, no, no, no…Toothless, come on! It's me! Toothless!" _

_ However, no amount of yelling would change the dragon's mind. He lifted his head, gas coming up in his throat. Just as he ignited it, a body slammed into Hiccup's, and his world went black. _

_ When he opened his eyes, he was lying on the ground, breathing heavily. Smoke hung in the air like thick fog; fog impossible to see through. Hiccup stood up, waving his hands back and forth to clear it. Once he did, he was greeted by the sight of Valka kneeling beside Stoick's body, her head resting against her husband's chest. _

_ Hiccup raced over, not believing what he was seeing. His father was dead. His dad was dead. The person who raised him was gone forever, and it was his fault. Why didn't he move out of the way before the plasma blast hit? Why did his father have to be the one to save him? _

_ Valka looked up at him, tears staining her face. "Look what you've done, Hiccup," she sobbed. "This is all your fault." _

_ "No," Hiccup said, looking the body of his father over. His father was gone. Dead. Gone forever out of his life. He couldn't believe it. "He can't be gone," Hiccup said. "He can't be." _

_ "He is, and it's because of you," Valka accused. "You did this." _

_ "Dad…" Hiccup whispered. "Dad! DAD!" _

_ The Bewilderbeast rose up from behind them, and before Hiccup knew what was happening, they were covered in ice. _

_ The scene shifted, and it was raining glass. Although it was a dream, Hiccup could have sworn he could feel the shards of it cutting his skin. He spun around in a circle. Valka was standing, ready to mount Cloudjumper. _

_ "Mom!" Hiccup shouted. "What are you doing?" _

_ "I'm sorry, Hiccup," Valka said. She jumped on Cloudjumper's back, and the dragon flew off. _

_ "MOM!" Hiccup screamed. "NO! Please don't leave me, too! MOM!" _

Hiccup screamed, long and loud, as he finally woke up from his nightmare. He shot into a sitting position, which was a terrible idea, since he had a pounding headache. Through the haze of his fever, he saw Valka sitting next to him. She looked urgent, her eyes filled with concern and panic.

_This is all your fault. Look what you've done, Hiccup. You did this, Hiccup. Your fault, Hiccup. He's dead because of you, Hiccup…Hiccup…Hiccup…_

"Hiccup!" Valka shouted. She didn't sound angry; in fact, she sounded terrified. Hiccup didn't know what it was; maybe it was the tone of his mother's voice, or all he concern and care and _love _in her eyes towards him that made him burst into tears. He couldn't stop them once they started, despite his efforts. He felt his stomach churn and twist, and instantly knew what was coming next. Valka must have, too, because she grabbed a bucket off to the side and put it underneath Hiccup's chin. Instantly, he choked and gagged, bringing up whatever was left in his stomach. It was painful, as he had already thrown up most everything earlier that day, and he sobbed once he was finished expelling.

Valka watched him for only a second before she wrapped her loving arms around his body and pulled him to her chest. He sobbed, stumbling over the words he was trying to get out.

"I'm s-s-sorry…" he choked. "I-it's m-my fault."

Valka didn't have to ask what he meant before she knew. Hiccup had been shouting his father's name over and over in his sleep, and Valka knew he also had nightmares about Stoick's death. She knew exactly what he was talking about.

He had also been calling for her, shouting, "Please don't leave me!" but she didn't know what that was about, so she reacted only to what she knew.

"No, no, sweetheart, it's not your fault," she said. "You didn't do anything wrong, Hiccup."

Hiccup only continued to sob. Valka reacted over, grabbing the bucket and setting it down on the floor beside the bed before her hands returned to embrace Hiccup once again.

"I d-didn't wa-ant him to…d-die," Hiccup cried.

"I know, I know, Hiccup," Valka said. Her heart was breaking for him. She couldn't bear to see him so broken. "I know, I didn't want him to die, either." Her own tears were falling, but she kept them silent for Hiccup's sake.

"I do-on't w-want to be alone," Hiccup sobbed. "I don-don't want you to le-eave me, too. Please d-don't l-leave me…will you?"

Valka was surprised by the question, but there was no way she was going to hesitate while answering her son's question.

"Oh no no no no no," Valka said quickly. She laid Hiccup back, and then laid down beside him, hugging him to her protectively. "No, I'll never leave you, Hiccup," she said.

"B-but…D-Dad didn't m-m-ean to l-leave us, either," Hiccup sobbed against her chest. "I don't w-want y-you to leave me…l-like…Daddy accidently…d-d-did…b-be'cause…me…"

"Shhhh," Valka soothed, rubbing Hiccup's heaving back. "Your father loved you. He loved you _so much_, Hiccup. He wouldn't want you to blame yourself."

Hiccup still cried, wrapping his arms around his mother and hugging her back.

"Shhhh," Valka said as if he were very young, as she pulled the blanket over him and herself. She remembered the days when Hiccup was still an infant; he was never the easiest baby to get to sleep, but she always managed to do it somehow, between her or Stoick.

Eventually, after five minutes exactly, Hiccup feel asleep in his mother's embrace, his own hold on her going slack. Valka rested her chin on top of his head. For some reason, she didn't feel tired as she had earlier that evening. She knew Hiccup needed her, probably more than he wished to admit openly.

"You're going to be alright, Hiccup," Valka said, although he was sleeping and couldn't hear what she was saying. "I'm not going anywhere."

That was a promise she intended to keep, for as long as she lived.


	9. Chapter 9

**Hello, all! :D Shout-outs: **

**All Things Animated: Thanks! Yeah, I love Hiccup and Valka's relationship in general. :D **

**meladi1: I know! I cried when I first watched it. :( **

**HiccupHaddockIII: My thoughts exactly. :) **

**SingStar234: Thanks! :D **

**midnightsky0612: And I quote Hiccup: "WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT!?" Why did Stoick have to DIE!? **

**IonitaMircea32: Thanks! Although I don't know if that's good or bad. XD**

**silverwolvesarecool: I'm glad you like it, Sil! :D **

**xFaerieValkyriex: I KNOW! I just want to hug ALL the characters who go through hard times in their lives. Right now, it's Hiccup. Exactly. Poor Hiccup. :'( But he has his mother and Astrid, and I agree with what you said about Valka in your previous review one hundred percent. I really like her as a character. Yes, she made a HUGE mistake, but I guess every character has some sort of flaw, which actually makes it more realistic. :) **

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><p>The night wasn't as Valka would have hoped it would have been. She had hoped that Hiccup would get a full night's sleep, and then be back to himself the next morning. However, it hadn't gone that way at all. He woke up multiple times, sometimes crying, sometimes screaming, and sometimes vomiting whatever he had left in his stomach. Each time, Valka tried to soothe him and get him back to sleep again, but each time, it was harder than the time before. He kept having nightmares; some about Stoick, some about her, some about Berk being destroyed while others about (what else?) wolves. It made getting him to rest ridiculously hard, since he kept asking Valka over and over if she was going to leave him, and he was constantly blaming himself for his father's death, despite how many times Valka told him otherwise.<p>

She stayed up with him, and she didn't fall asleep, even when Hiccup did. She knew that once he was sleeping, he could wake up any moment from a night terror, and she learned that if she woke him up before it got worse, she was normally able to keep the nightmare from its hold. She couldn't help but feel terrible for her boy, though. Even though he was a grown man now, while he was sick, he was clingy, his voice always making him sound years younger than he was in reality.

It broke her heart, seeing her son in so much pain. She wished that she could take all his discomfort away from him, but of course, there was no such luck. All she could do was help him through it, and hope that it turned out alright in the end. There was nothing else to be done.

Hiccup woke up from another nightmare, and Valka held him close to her. She was certain that at any moment, the sun would rise. She was also certain that as soon as it did, she would be sending for a healer, because Hiccup was _definitely _not getting better.

"Mom…I'll be alright," Hiccup said, reaching up to touch his mother's cheek. Valka looked down at him, his eyes mirroring her own. It took her a moment before she realized that she was crying, if silently. It wasn't the first time it had happened. She put her hand against Hiccup's and smiled softly.

"I know you will," she said. "You're strong."

"Mmmm…and tired…" Hiccup said. "Really tired…mostly tired, actually…"

"Then you can rest," Valka said. "You _should _rest. The sun isn't out yet, and you didn't get hardly any sleep in the night."

"Yeah…alright," Hiccup said, but he didn't exactly listen. Between his nightmares, and the images that flashed through his mind every time he closed his eyes, sleep seemed impossible.

"Does anything hurt in particular, Hiccup?" Valka asked. She could feel that his fever was going down (even if it was just a little bit), and that was a huge relief for her, but she still wanted to know what he was feeling.

"No, not really," Hiccup said.

Valka frowned at him. She could tell by his tone and quick words that he was lying. "I know you aren't being honest, son," she said. "You don't have to hide anything from me."

Hiccup sighed. "I do have a headache," he said. "But it's not bad."

"Oh, it isn't?" Valka said, raising an eyebrow. "Has anyone ever told you how terrible a liar you are, Hiccup?"

"Well, Astrid has," Hiccup said. "Once or twice." He closed his eyes, resting more heavily against his mother. "Headache's bad," he mumbled. "Stomach…feels like it's somersaulting...leg hurts…"

"Which one?" Valka asked. She knew Hiccup got phantom pains sometimes, but she also knew that Hiccup was bitten by a wolf on his good leg.

"The only one…" Hiccup answered.

So it _was _the one that the wolf bit. Valka chewed on her lip. She was partially afraid of this happening, especially with her and Astrid's assumptions on the wolves carrying some form of disease.

"Can I look at it?" Valka asked.

"N…not right now…" Hiccup said, but his eyes were closing at this point. "M'sure it's nothing. Tired…"

"Alright," Valka said. The sun was rising now; Valka could see it clearly on the horizon. She knew she would have to send for a healer, and she also knew that the healer was bound to look at Hiccup's leg. It could wait, especially since Hiccup seemed so exhausted. "I'm going to have to send for a healer when the village wakes," she said. "I think you need to be looked over."

Hiccup nodded, although it was the last thing Valka expected him to do. Maybe he was feeling worse than he let on? Maybe common sense was catching up with him, and he knew that he needed a healer if he was going to get well? Or maybe he was half asleep and didn't know what he was doing?

"Alright…" he whispered. "'kay…" He fell asleep once again, but Valka knew that it wouldn't be hard to wake him up; a noise too loud, a loud growl from Toothless…

Valka looked over at the Night Fury, seeing that he was about to get up and approach them. Valka shook her head and put her finger to her lips in a silent "keep quiet" motion, which Toothless instantly caught, despite the fact he was reluctant. He laid back down once again, keeping his head up so he could watch his rider carefully.

Valka waited for the sun to rise.


	10. Chapter 10

**So sorry this took me longer than I wanted. I hurt my finger. Ouch. Yeah, so that's what I'm dealing with right now. Hopefully you can all forgive me. :) Chapter 10! Enjoy! :D Shout-outs when my finger feels better. :) **

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><p>When the sun rose, Hiccup was still sleeping, and that made Valka pleased. He needed all the sleep he could possibly get if he was going to get better. Of course, she was still worried about him, and knew that she was going to be calling a healer as soon as possible, but at least he was resting now.<p>

She looked down at his sleeping form, frowning at the dark, bruise-like circles beneath his eyes, and the ever so present flush of his cheeks due to his fever. The rest of his face was a sickly pale. However, he appeared to be sleeping soundly enough, which made Valka smile, even if slightly. Once she was sure he was sleeping deeply enough to be moved without waking, Valka untangled him from her lap, laying him down on his bed and pulling the blanket over his body. She felt his forehead, smiling with relief when she found that it was cooler than the previous day. Fishlegs' medicine seemed to be working better than she thought it would.

A few minutes later, Valka heard the front door open, followed by footsteps ascending the stairwell. Astrid stood in the doorway, looking rested yet worried as she approached the bedside.

"Good morning, Valka," the girl said. "How's he doing?"

"As well as expected," Valka answered. "He hardly got any sleep last night, though."

Astrid turned to look at Hiccup, and then gasped. "Valka, he looks awful," she said. "Are you going to call a healer?"

Valka nodded. "I think I'll have to," she said. "He said he has a headache now, and he has a hard time stomaching anything."

"Poor thing," Astrid said sympathetically. "Should I go fetch a healer?"

"I'll go if you stay with him," Valka said.

"Oh," Astrid said, sounding surprised. "Are you sure? Because I can go…I don't mind."

"No, I'll go," Valka said. "I'm sure you want to stay with him for a bit, Astrid."

Astrid hesitated, just before nodding. "You're right," she said. "If you're sure you don't mind…"

"It's fine, Astrid," Valka said, standing and motioning for Astrid to take her place. The Hofferson did so, looking back at Valka afterwards.

"And I just want to say, Astrid," Valka began, "thank you for all your help. You've helped me a lot since Hiccup's taken ill, and thank you for that."

"You don't have to thank me, Valka," Astrid said. "I know Hiccup would do the same for me. It's my pleasure, helping you and him out."

"Still, thank you," Valka said. "I'll be back soon."

"Alright," Astrid said. "I'll look after him."

Valka nodded, and then raced down the stairs, heading out the door afterwards. Astrid watched her leave, and then turned her attention back to Hiccup. She stood up after a moment, and then left for downstairs, returning with a steaming bowl of left over, reheated soup. She figured when he woke up that he would most likely be hungry, and even if he wasn't, he needed something in his system.

She set the bowl down on the desk and then sat down on a stool set by the bed. She felt Hiccup's forehead out of habit, feeling glad when she found that it was a lot cooler than it had been before. One more spoonful of Fishlegs' medicine and it should break. She found the bottle of it on the table, and then decided that she would give him his second dose when he woke up.

Speaking of Hiccup waking up…

"Hello, milady," he said.

Astrid looked down at him. His eyes were half-lidded and a bit glazed over, but despite his fatigue appearance, he was smiling.

"Hey, too, Dragon Boy," Astrid said. "How're you doing?"

"Alright, I guess," Hiccup said. "I've definitely been better, that's for sure, but then again, I've been worse, too, haven't I?"

"Nope," Astrid said.

"Oh," Hiccup responded. "Well, I suppose there's a first time for everything, right?"

"Right, a first time, and a last time," Astrid said. She took the medicine and spoon off the table, and then uncorked the bottle. "Think you can drink a spoonful of this?" she said, although she knew that no matter what Hiccup said, she was going to make sure he drank some.

"I guess," Hiccup said. "What is it?" he asked as Astrid helped him sit up and lean against the headboard before she poured some of the liquid into the spoon and held it out to him.

"Fishlegs brought it over," Astrid said. "It's for your fever."

"Oh," Hiccup said, reaching out to take the spoon from Astrid. He gulped down the spoonful, sticking his tongue out afterwards.

"It tastes like…Toothless' spit," he said.

"How do you know what that tastes like?" Astrid asked. Hiccup put his hand over her mouth.

"Shhhh," he said. "We do not speak of it."

Astrid rolled her eyes as she set the spoon and bottle back down on the desk. She took the bowl and handed it out to him. "Think you're ready to try some more soup?" she asked.

Hiccup looked at the bowl, and then up to her. "Maybe," he said. "A little bit."

"Good," Astrid said, plucking the spoon off the table. Hiccup made a move to take the bowl, but she didn't hand it to him. Instead, she scooped some of the soup into the spoon and held it out.

"Open your mouth," she said.

"I can do it, Astrid," Hiccup said. "It's my leg that's hurt, not my arms."

"Yeah, but your hands are shaking," Astrid said.

"I don't _want _to be babied," Hiccup said.

"Deal with it," Astrid said. "Open your mouth."

"This conversation is feeling very one sided," Hiccup said.

"Hiccup Horrendous," Astrid warned.

Hiccup sighed, yet complied, opening his mouth under Astrid's command. His cheeks went even redder in embarrassment, but he didn't stop her. He only managed a few bites before he had to stop, but at least he ate _something_.

"Alright," Astrid said. "What now?"

"Where'd my Mom go?" Hiccup asked.

"She went to get a healer," Astrid said. "She'll be back soon."

"Okay," Hiccup said as he sighed, sliding back down so he could lay on his back. Astrid pulled the blanket over his shoulders, tucking it around him.

"Sleep," she said. "And yes, that is a command. Sleep."

"Not gonna argue," Hiccup said. "Thank you, Astrid."

Before she could reply, he was asleep.


	11. Chapter 11

**So, sorry, this is kind of an uninteresting chapter, but WE FIND OUT HICCUP'S ILLNESS. Shhhh...no spoilers yet. :D My finger doesn't want to do the thing...in my last A/N, I said my finger got cut, and it hurts, so any misspelled words in here..BLAME THE FINGER! NOT ME! :D XD Enjoy chapter 11, I'mm update as soon as I can! :D **

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><p>Valka arrived sooner than later with the healer hot on her heels. The healer was Gothi's apprentice; a young girl named Halima, around Astrid's age with brown hair and a sturdy (not bulky) build. Astrid was sitting on the edge of the bed with her hand holding a cloth to Hiccup's forehead as he slept more or less soundly.<p>

Halima looked from Astrid to Hiccup, and then motioned for Astrid to move over. Astrid did so, sitting at the head of the bed while Halima sat in the middle. She instantly began the regular examination; lifting Hiccup's eyelids, looking inside his mouth (for reasons Valka and Astrid didn't know nor ask about), and checking his temperature.

"What are his biggest symptoms?" Halima asked, looking from Astrid and Valka both. Since Valka was in such a rush to get back to Hiccup, she hadn't said much to the healer.

"His fever is going down, but that was one of the biggest things," Valka said. "He doesn't eat much, and when he does, he normally throws it up later. He said he had a bad headache, and he seems exhausted."

"So, he _has_ been conscious, then?" Halima asked. Valka and Astrid nodded. "But he's also been out of it, sort of?" Nods once again. "Alright," Halima said. "What do you think the cause of it is?"

So, Valka and Astrid told her about the wolves, and Halima listened, speaking only when she had a question. When Astrid and Valka finished their tale, the healer nodded.

"Alright then," she said. "Suppose I'll have to take a look at his wound. Right leg, you said?"

"Yes," Valka answered.

"Alrightee," Halima said. She rolled up Hiccup's pants leg, and then undid the bandages. "It's a bit more swollen than it should be…" the healer said more to herself than anything. From their positions, neither Astrid nor Valka could see the wound itself. She continued to examine the wound, murmuring things to herself as she went, until at length she stepped back, bandaging the wound before she did.

"If you ask me," Halima said, "then it looks like Hiccup has tularemia."

"Tularemia," Valka gasped.

"Tularemia?" Astrid repeated. Halima nodded. "What's that?"

There was a beat of pure silence before Astrid's question was answered. "It's a disease," Valka explained rather hastily. "Most people recover from it, but it takes a few weeks at least before they're back to their normal selves."

"That's right," Halima said. "More than half the people who get tularemia recover."

"Does Hiccup have a chance of recovering from it?" Astrid asked, trying to hide her panic in her voice.

"We'll see," Halima said. "You can expect he'll get more fevers and headaches, and even if he throws up every time he eats, make sure he always has something in his stomach. We don't need his body weakening even more."

"Are there any other symptoms?" Valka asked. "Things we could expect in the near future?"

"Not that you haven't already experienced," Halima said. "He'll have high fevers, and they'll break for a few hours, but then they'll come back. He'll be exhausted most of the time, have severe headaches, and won't be able to stomach much. His fevers will most likely give him chills."

"So, what should we do?" Valka asked.

"Keep him warm, and when he has a fever, keep a cool rag on his forehead," Halima said. "Make sure he eats something…broth should be fine. Keep him hydrated, too. That'll be important. I'll be back in two days to see if there's any improvement. If he has abnormal symptoms, or gets worse, come get me right away. Alright?"

"Alright," Valka and Astrid said in unison, nodding.

"Alight," Halima said. "I'm going to get some medicine from Gothi and then leave it with you. I'll be back in a few minutes." The healer left afterwards, leaving Astrid and Valka alone with Hiccup.

"Tularemia," Astrid said. "I've never heard of that before."

"It's not very common," Valka said.

"It takes weeks for it to run its course?" Astrid asked. "Hiccup will be like this for weeks?"

"Two to three weeks at best," Valka said.

"He'll be alright, though?" Astrid asked. "All around, he'll be fine in the end, right?"

"More than likely," Valka said. "I may not have known Hiccup for a long time like you have, but I know he's stronger than he looks. I'm sure he'll pull through and be back on his feet in no time."

Astrid smiled. "That's good," she said. "I gave Hiccup his second dose of medicine…but I suppose it won't help if what the healer said about him getting frequent fevers is true."

Valka nodded. "But he'll be alright," she said, "so long as we keep the fevers down, at least."

"I'm glad we know what it is now," Astrid said. "I was worried the disease was going to be rabies, or something like that."

Valka stared at her for just a moment. "Me too," she said, "but I'm really glad it wasn't. More people are less likely to recover from rabies then they are from tularemia."

Astrid nodded, putting the back of her hand against Hiccup's cheek. "His fever's still going down for now," she said, pulling her hand away after letting it linger for another few moments. "It's good he's sleeping," she said.

Valka nodded once again as she moved to sit on the other side of the bed, across from Astrid. "He had a rough night," Valka said dolefully. "He'll probably sleep most of today."

"Good," Astrid said. "He needs it."

Both Astrid and Valka continued watching over Hiccup.


	12. Chapter 12

**HELLOOOOOOO EVERYBODY! :D HI! How are you all doing this fine, fine evening? Good? Well, I'm not. My poor finger. :( But other than that, I am doing SPLENDORIFIC! :D IF that's even a word...if it's not, then now it is. :D Snout-outs NEXT CHAPTER, I PROMISE this time! :D Enjoy! :D **

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><p>"I think his fever is breaking," Astrid said. It was evening, the sky just having gotten black, and Hiccup was stirring for the first time since falling asleep earlier that morning. Valka and Astrid were both relieved he had been sleeping for as long as he had, and now, his fever was breaking.<p>

A few hours after Halima came back, dropping off a small pouch of herbs ("Put them in hot water and give them to him twice a day," she had said before she left) Hiccup's fever had risen, and of course, Astrid and Valka knew that that meant it was breaking. It was a relief for the both of them, as they had already been so worried about him the past two days.

"I think it is," Valka said, watching with both worried and relieved eyes as she put the back of her hand against Hiccup's forehead. He was twitching in his sleep, convulsing only slightly. He leaned into his mother's touch, and Valka cupped his cheek, rubbing her thumb against his face, wiping drops of sweat that were beading there away.

When his fever finally broke, Hiccup was instantly soaked from head to toe in cold sweat. His breathing deepened, and Valka moved her hand from his cheek to his forehead to check his temperature.

"He's cool," she said blatantly. "Astrid, do you think you could get some more blankets from downstairs? They should be in the corner."

Astrid nodded, racing to do as Valka had asked of her. Meanwhile, Valka peeled the sweat-wet blankets off Hiccup's shaking body and marveled about how freezing he looked. He was pale and shivering, and it broke his mother's heart having to watch him and do nothing.

_Well, _she thought, _I don't _have _to do nothing_. Carefully, she lifted Hiccup's upper body into her arms, ignoring his sweaty clothes. He whimpered in his fitful sleep, and she shushed him as she would have done as if he was simply an infant and needed his mother to hold him.

"You're alright…" she whispered in his ear, pushing his bangs off his forehead and kissing his head gently. "You're alright, son…"

Astrid returned a few moments later, handing Valka the blankets she had brought and helping her wrap Hiccup in them. After a while, his shivering ceased altogether, and he was left resting in his mother's arms.

Astrid looked at Valka's face. The woman looked exhausted, with rings underneath her eyes and a fatigued appearance.

"Valka," Astrid said, "I know you probably won't want to, but if you _do _want to, you could get some sleep, and I could watch Hiccup tonight."

Valka shook her head, holding onto Hiccup tighter, almost defensively. "I'm fine," she said, although it was obvious that she was likely to pass out from lack of sleep. "He needs me."

"I'm sure he does," Astrid said (and truly, she couldn't deny the fact that Hiccup seemed to be sleeping sounder when Valka was cradling him), "but he's going to work himself into a frenzy if he finds out you haven't been getting sleep because of him. You know how he is, always blaming himself. Besides, you look exhausted. I'm sure some sleep would do you good."

"You've already done so much, Astrid," Valka said. "I don't want to ask more of you, or burden you…"

"Burden me?" Astrid asked with a half-laugh. "I'll be alright, Valka. Don't tell Hiccup I said this, but I like taking care of him. I don't like seeing him so sick, but I do like caring for him. I've done it a few times in the past. Like the time he was struck by lightning…"

"I never got a full story on that," Valka said. "What happened?"

"Long story short," Astrid said, "lightning storm, villagers blamed Toothless, Hiccup wanted to prove his innocence, so he stood on the top of a mast like a madman, waving a spear back and forth as if _begging _the lightning to hit it…which he was, actually…lightning rod, I tell you, Valka. If I didn't know him better, I would say he had a death wish. But of course, I do know him better, and I know he does _not _have a death wish."

"That's good," Valka said. "Are you sure you don't mind watching him tonight, though? I don't mind if you want to go sleep. I understand if you do."

"No, I'm alright, slept soundly last night," Astrid said offhandedly. "By the looks of it, you didn't."

Valka sighed. "Not really," she said. "Hiccup was up most the night, and I just…I didn't want to sleep, and even if I wanted to, it wasn't possible. He had so many nightmares, Astrid. He woke up sobbing each time."

"Do you know what they were about?" Astrid asked, even though she was pretty sure she already knew the answer.

"Stoick's death," Valka said, pausing for just a moment before she continued. "But that wasn't really it."

Astrid raised an eyebrow.

"He kept begging me not to leave him every time he woke up," Valka said. "I don't know what he was dreaming about, but it definitely wasn't good."

"He had a lot of nightmares after the battle when he lost his leg," Astrid said. "Actually…I'm pretty sure we _all _had nightmares after _that _fight, but…Hiccup went through more than any of us did, so I suppose he got them the worst."

"How did you find out about them?" Valka asked. "I know Hiccup really isn't one to talk about his feelings openly."

"He's not," Astrid said. "Really, it was Toothless who told me, indirectly, of course."

"Toothless?" Valka asked, glancing over at where the Night Fury was watching them with his neon eyes. "How did he tell you?"

"He came and got me one night," Astrid said. "I couldn't sleep anyway. Something just felt off. I couldn't put my finger on what it was, but it was just something. I could feel it. Toothless got me, and I found Hiccup sobbing in his bed once I followed the dragon. Since then, Toothless got me multiple times to help Hiccup; so many times I've actually lost count."

"Why didn't Toothless go to Stoick first?" Valka asked. "It would have been easier to get him then it would have been to get you, wouldn't it?"

"I honestly don't know what that was about," Astrid said. "Honestly, I don't think Stoick had Toothless' trust back then. Hiccup and Stoick had an…_interesting _relationship."

Valka looked at the girl for a moment. "Do you want to tell me what you mean?" she asked.

Astrid nodded. "It's a long story."

"Well," Valka said, "I love long stories."


	13. Chapter 13

**So, hey, guys. My finger's feeling a bit better...**

**BUT NOW I'M SICK. I know, not fair, but yeah, such is life sometimes. :) Hardly slept last night, but nonetheless, I wrote this chapter and a chapter for "What Became of the Raid" earlier this morning. Yeah, I'm a crazy writer, but I HAVE to update my stories, or...or I lose my mind. :) Enjoy chapter 13! :D**

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><p>"Alright," Astrid said, "but when we're finished, you need to sleep, okay?"<p>

"Sounds like a plan," Valka said. In honesty, she was a bit nervous. Hiccup was never really open to the idea of speaking about his father just yet; the wounds of losing him were too fresh in the young Chief's mind. That lead to Valka not really knowing anything about Hiccup and Stoick's relationship. She had always imagined that they were close, by how Stoick treated Hiccup, and how Hiccup treated him in response in just the short time she saw them together, but now Astrid was saying that it was "interesting", and that really didn't sound all too promising.

"Do tell," Valka said after another instant.

"So, Hiccup and Stoick," Astrid said. "Not really much to write home about for the first fifteen years."

"Why not?" Valka asked. "Weren't they close?"

"Well, it depends on what you mean by 'close'," Astrid responded, making quotation marks with her fingers on the last word she spoke.

"I don't really understand," Valka said.

"Yeah, me neither," Astrid said. "Forget the thing I just said. Hiccup and Stoick were…well…like I said, their relationship was interesting. Not really one way or the other, just sort of…different."

"Define different?" Valka asked.

"Well, consider Hiccup for a moment," Astrid said. "What are his top character traits?"

"He's creative," Valka said. "Uses his brain instead of his brawn…well, he doesn't _have _brawn…he would rather make peace then fight, doesn't kill without reason, reads in his spare time, doodles…he's sarcastic. Actually…he's mainly sarcastic."

"Besides the sarcasm," Astrid said. "What else?"

"He's stubborn," Valka said. "Isn't very open about his feelings…very quiet normally, talkative when you get to know him…"

"Uh-huh," Astrid said. "Now, consider Stoick. Main character traits. Go."

"He was…a warrior," Valka said. "Fought instead of thought, lead people into battle without having a plan first, fought in his spare time…I don't think he even knew _how _to read, he was very outspoken, never really stayed quiet…ah, I'm seeing your point, Astrid."

"Yep," Astrid said. "Hiccup and Stoick were father and son, although you would never be able to tell that without taking a closer look. I suppose they share a few traits. They're both stubborn."

"We're _all _stubborn," Valka said. "We're _Vikings." _

"True, true," Astrid said. "They both have the hearts of a Chief, excellent leadership, but other than that, really, they're completely different."

"I suppose Hiccup's more like me than he was like his father," Valka said.

"Hiccup is _exactly _like you in pretty much _everything_," Astrid said, "which is kind of why he was labeled as 'different'…not that being like you is _bad _or anything, it's just….it was different then what we were used to, and you know how Vikings are when it comes down to new ways of living. It takes us a while to get the hang of it."

Valka nodded; a silent urge to continue.

"So, the first fifteen years of Hiccup's life," Astrid said, "he and his father weren't exactly 'close.' They lived together, talked a bit sometimes, but they were never really 'close' _close_, like you would expect a father and son to be. When Hiccup was nearly killed by the Red Death, I guess that gave Stoick a bit of a wake-up call-"

"Wait a minute," Valka said, cutting Astrid off abruptly. "You said fifteen years leading up to the Red Death battle."

"Yes," Astrid said. "Why?"

Valka didn't answer right away. Fifteen. Hiccup had lost his leg when he was fifteen. "He was so young when he lost his leg," Valka said breathlessly.

"It was only five years ago," Astrid said. "I guess I really didn't think about how young he was when it happened very much…he wasn't too much older than me. Four or five months, I think, or something like that. Not one hundred percent sure, and I really don't feel like counting it out right now."

"Right," Valka said. She would think about Hiccup's leg losing later. "Continue?"

"So, since the Red Death, Hiccup and Stoick have been…close_r_, at least," Astrid said. "Of course, fifteen years is kind of a lot to make up for. But yes, they were a lot closer than they were before."

"And that's it, then?" Valka asked. "That's Hiccup and Stoick's relationship?"

"Pretty much," Astrid said. "Along with a lot of drama thrown in here and there sometimes, depending on the situation they were in. Stoick had a lot to learn about Hiccup."

Valka nodded. "So what about you?" she asked. "Are you and Hiccup close?"

Valka could see the girl fighting away a blush. "I suppose we are," Astrid said after a moment. "Yeah, I guess you could call us close."

"How close?" Valka asked.

"Close enough," Astrid said.

"How long have you known him?" Valka said.

"Well, since he was the Chief's son," Astrid said, "I guess we _all _kind of knew him. We knew who he was, but we didn't know him specifically. We didn't know his personality…besides his sarcasm. We all knew he was sarcastic. Other than that, we didn't know anything about him. After the Red Death…I guess I've really known him for about five years."

"Five years," Valka repeated. "Long time."

"Not really," Astrid said. "Time flies. It seems just yesterday we were opening the official Berk Dragon Training Academy, starting our D.U.M.B. club, our secret dragon flight club…"

"What?" Valka asked. "Dumb?"

"Yeah, not my idea," Astrid said. "It stood for Dragons United Monitoring Brigade, if you want to know."

"That sounds…well, I'm not going to say clever," Valka said, "but that's kind of what it is."

"You have your son to thank for that," Astrid said. "Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third, Chief of Berk, and the stupid club names."

"I bet that was interesting," Valka said.

"It was, very," Astrid said, nodding in confirmation. So, Astrid began telling Valka about everything she remembered, from the day they started the Academy, all the way up to how they ended up making peace with the Outcasts, all because of Hiccup.


	14. Chapter 14

**So, this chapter's got some Hiccstrid in it. I like Hiccstrid. I really don't ship Hiccup or Astrid with anyone else but each other (apologies to Mericup shippers). ANNNNYYYYWWWAAAYYYS, enjoy chapter 14! I have no idea how long this story's gonna be...probably won't be more than twenty chapters, but I don't know. Strange to think that this was just a one-shot at one point. I don't get it. *shrugs* **

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><p>As soon as Astrid finished her tales, she caught Valka trying to stifle a yawn.<p>

"It's late," Astrid said. "You can go on to bed, and I'll take care of Hiccup."

"Are you _sure _you want to, Astrid?" Valka asked. "Because I don't mind it, really, honestly, I don't mind watching him…"

"No, you need to rest," Astrid said. "Go on. You know I'll take good care of him, don't you?"

Valka looked at the girl, before she nodded. Yes, she was feeling exhausted, and she knew Astrid was right, but part of her was still unenthusiastic about leaving her sick boy without his mother.

"One thing," Valka said, both sternly and gently at the same time. "One little thing, and you come get me, alright? If he has a nightmare, if he gets worse…"

"Valka, I'm alright," Astrid said. "I can take care of him just as well as you can. Don't worry. He'll be fine. And I'll come and get you if something drastic happens."

In the end, Valka nodded, laying Hiccup down on his bed before thanking Astrid and bidding the girl goodnight, leaving downstairs to finally get some sleep. Astrid waited until the woman was gone before she sat down on the empty space beside Hiccup, stretching her legs out in front of her, leaning her back against the headboard. She put her hand on Hiccup's head subconsciously, not fully thinking about what she was doing, or even why she was doing it.

"Good night, Hiccup," she said, whispering so that she wouldn't wake him up. She felt a bit of heat on his forehead, but she figured it was his body rising back to its normal level. She let her hand linger, and then closed her eyes for just a moment.

…

Astrid wasn't sure how long she had been asleep, because when she woke up, it was still dark, and just as she had left it. The only thing different was Hiccup. Astrid's hand was still on his forehead, and now, she felt that he was burning. He had another fever, and she hadn't even noticed it.

She hated herself, as she stood up, found a rag, wet it down, and put it against his forehead, for not seeing it sooner. She shouldn't have fallen asleep at all. If she had stayed awake, then chances were she would have noticed Hiccup's change of temperature much, much sooner; sooner enough to the point where she could have stopped the fever before it got worse.

However, she had been sleeping while Hiccup had been suffering, and she knew that she would never fully forgive herself for it.

She sat on the bed again, pressing the cloth to Hiccup's forehead in an attempt to break his fever and cool him down. It didn't seem to be helping much at first, but then eventually, his head felt just a little bit cooler, and Astrid's panic began to fade if just slightly.

It took another few minutes for Hiccup to wake up. When he did, the first thing he saw was Astrid sitting beside him, staring out into space, her fingers fooling with the loose strands of her bedraggled braid. Her other hand was pushing a cloth firmly against his forehead. The wet rag brought a cooling, soothing feeling onto Hiccup, and he almost fell asleep again, but didn't.

"Astrid," he said, not bothering to pose it as a question. He already knew it was her. She looked in his direction, her blue eyes meeting his green, tired ones.

"Hiccup," she said. "How are you feeling?"

"Hot," Hiccup murmured. "Tired." Astrid pressed the rag against his forehead, and Hiccup sighed in contentment. "Cloth feels amazing…" he said, almost dreamily.

"Does it?" Astrid asked, although Hiccup could tell by her tone of voice that it was a trick question. "My parents always put one on my head when I have a fever. Helps, don't you think?"

Hiccup nodded. "What are you still doing here…?" he asked after just a moment. "It's dark…"

"Your mother went to get some rest, so I told her I was going to stay with you," Astrid said.

"That was…nice of you," Hiccup said breathlessly, "but you really don't have to stay."

Astrid huffed and rolled her eyes, blowing her bangs out of her face. "After all this time, Hiccup," she said, "you seriously think you could get rid of me when you're sick?"

"Probably not," Hiccup said.

"Then don't try it," Astrid advised.

"Hmmm…ain't gonna…not yet," he said, rolling over on his side, his back towards the wall. "Tired…I'm too tired to care…"

"Hello, Mr. Too-Tired-To-Care," Astrid joked. "I'm Astrid."

"No you're not…" Hiccup mumbled. "You're annoying."

"Well, you're rude," Astrid said.

"No…I'm Hiccup," Hiccup said.

"What_ever_, Dragon Boy," Astrid said. "Like it or not, you're stuck with me."

"Miss Annoying…" Hiccup said.

Astrid stared at him for just a moment. "Shut up," she said, shoving him only slightly.

"Now who's rude," Hiccup said.

"No, seriously," Astrid said. "You're going to wake your mother."

"Okay," Hiccup said. "As long as it stands that you are the rude one."

"Either way," Astrid said, "you're stuck with me, because, rude or not rude, I'm not leaving."

"So you won't leave?" Hiccup asked. "No matter what I do?"

"Nope," Astrid said, shaking her head.

"Are you _sure_?" Hiccup said, almost suspiciously.

"I'd like to see you try to get rid of me," Astrid said determinedly.

"Alright then," Hiccup said. He sat up half-way and then leaned over, resting his head against Astrid's thigh.

"Uh…what are you doing?" Astrid asked him, confusion lacing her voice.

"You're my pillow…" he murmured.

Astrid huffed, crossing her arms, although she made no other move. "_Fine_," she said. "But only because you're sick and overly clingy."

"I'm not clingy…" Hiccup said.

"Then get off me," Astrid said.

"_Noooooooo_," Hiccup moaned. "Staaaaaaaay. Bad pillow…"

Astrid chuckled. "See?" she said. "Clingy."

"Shhhh," Hiccup said, putting his finger against her lips to silence her. "Pillows don't talk…"

"Neither do people who are 'Too-Tired-To-Care'," Astrid shot back.

"Yeah we do…" Hiccup said, although his voice was barely audible now, his eyes closing on their own. "We always do…"

Astrid smiled, leaning down to kiss his forehead. "Good night, Dragon Boy," she whispered.

"'Night, milady," Hiccup said back, just before falling asleep once again. Astrid felt his forehead, and once she found it cooler than it had been before, she felt relieved beyond measure.

She suddenly felt her eyelids drooping, and no amount of shaking her head would keep them open. So, eventually, she fell asleep, just as soundly as Hiccup had.


	15. Chapter 15

**Hello. And yes, before you ask, this chapter does end on a cliffhanger. So...well, nevermind. Don't _all _my chapters end on cliffhangers? XD So, hopefully this chapter is alright. I was up half of last night with some weird ear problem, so hopefully this chapter's good enough for you awesome guys. :) I need coffee. XD Enjoy chapter 15! :D**

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><p>That was exactly how Valka found them the next morning; Astrid's arm draped loosely over Hiccup, Hiccup sleeping with the blanket around his body, Toothless watching them in the corner. Valka couldn't help but smile. She knew how much Astrid cared about Hiccup, despite how the girl always brushed the subject off.<p>

She left, heading back downstairs to make breakfast, deciding that Hiccup would be safe under Astrid's care, even though she was sleeping. She didn't want to disturb either of them at that moment.

After a while, footsteps met Valka's ears, and she turned to the stairwell just in time to watch Astrid walk down the steps, looking half-asleep but at the same time, awake enough so that she didn't stumble blindly.

"Morning, Valka," she said.

"Good morning," Valka said. "How was Hiccup last night?"

"He got a bit of a fever," Astrid said, "but other than that, he was fine. He slept nearly the entire night through without waking up, except once."

"That's good!" Valka said. "Could mean he's getting better. Of course, it'll still be a few weeks before he's well once again, but he's sleeping soundly at least."

Astrid nodded. "What should I do to help?" she asked. "Anything I can do for you?"

Valka shook her head. "Not at the moment," Valka said. "You hungry?"

"Not really," Astrid admitted. "But thanks for the offer. I might take Toothless for a flight…he's been cooped up for days now."

Valka nodded. "He's probably getting restless," she mused out loud.

Astrid nodded. In honesty, she was lackadaisical about leaving Hiccup, but she also knew that it wasn't like anything was going to happen while she was taking Toothless for a quick spin around the island. Besides, if anything dramatic happened, Astrid was certain Valka would come get her.

"So, just a quick flight then. Long enough for him to stretch his wings," Astrid said. "Then I'll be back. Maybe I'll ask Fishlegs how the village is holding up, too, while I'm at it…"

"There's no rush, Astrid," Valka said. "You deserve some fresh air, too. You've been here for quite a while as well as Toothless."

"Well…alright," Astrid said. "I'll be back soon." She crept back up the stairwell to get Toothless. The Night Fury was awake, watching Hiccup's sleeping form. Astrid motioned for the dragon to follow her, which he did, as quietly as possible.

"I'm taking you for a flight, okay?" Astrid said once they made it downstairs. Toothless skidded to a stop, shaking his head. Astrid groaned. "Toothless," she said, "it's going to take a while for Hiccup to get better. Hiccup would want you to get some exercise. He'd be upset if he learns that you haven't been flying the past few days, and you don't want to make him upset, do you?"

Toothless growled.

"I know, I know," Astrid said, "but it'll do you good. Plus, it'll make Hiccup happy. Alright?"

Toothless huffed, but nodded in the end. Astrid smiled, looking back at Valka.

"I'm going to take him on the flight now," she said as she and Toothless made for the door.

"Alright," Valka said. "If Hiccup wakes up while you're gone, I'll let him know where you went. I'm sure he'll be grateful to you, for this and numerous other reasons."

"Thanks, Valka," Astrid said. She opened the door, and she and Toothless headed out. As soon as the door was closed behind her, Astrid turned to Toothless.

"Ready to fly?" she asked.

Toothless nodded. Astrid mounted him, forced her foot into the foot petal, and with that, the duo was airborne.

Astrid would never understand how Hiccup flew Toothless with such ease. The Night Fury was _fast_. Too fast, perhaps, in Astrid's opinion, if you were to ask her. She struggled to keep a hold on Toothless, and even when she was sure her grip was firm, she always managed to lose it in the end.

"Toothless!" Astrid shouted, trying to get her voice over the wind. It wasn't windy, but with Toothless' speed, the winds suddenly felt so much stronger. "Slow down! Toothless!" Astrid tried, tried, and tried again, but each time she shouted, the Night Fury only seemed to go faster.

And then Toothless started spinning. Astrid felt her stomach twist as the Night Fury spun through the sky, its wings tucked around its body. Toothless let out a shriek that echoed across the island, and Astrid was sure everyone could hear it.

"Toothless!" Astrid shouted angrily. "Slow down—AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!" Toothless dived towards the ocean, letting his wings loose at the last second so they shot straight back into the air.

"Okay, okay, that's enough," Astrid said breathlessly as Toothless finally leveled out across the beautiful morning sky. Astrid made a silent promise to herself: never again would she tease Hiccup when his flying on Toothless wasn't as graceful as one would expect.

"You've had your fun," Astrid said. "Just…fly straight, and then we'll go back to Hiccup's house when you're ready, alright?"

Toothless growled, which could have meant anything, but Astrid was sure it had been a 'yes'. Suddenly, Toothless growled, and it didn't take a genius to tell it wasn't a happy one.

"Toothless?" Astrid asked. "What's up? What's wrong?"

In response, Toothless spun around, and shot towards Raven Point. Astrid yelped, wrapping her arms around Toothless' neck in a pathetic attempt to keep herself mounted.

"Toothless!" she shouted. "What is it!?"

Instead of replying, Toothless landed in the middle of Raven Point. Astrid dismounted, brushing herself off. She was certain her braid was messed up from the flight, not that she thought about it too much.

"Crazy dragon," Astrid said, shaking her head. "What was that, huh? What'd you do that for?"

Toothless growled once again, his eyes narrowing. Astrid turned around, but the only thing she saw was a hill. After a moment, she began climbing it, Toothless following her closely.

"I don't know what it is you want to show me that's so important," Astrid said as they made it to the top. However, once Astrid looked over, she gasped.

"Whoa," she breathed.


	16. Chapter 16

***Moriarty's voice* Did you miss me? *Dagur's voice* BWAHAHAHAHAHA! Alright, I'm done for now. XD Shout-outs: **

**IonitaMircea32: I am Queen Cliffie for certain. XD Thanks for reviewing! :D**

**HiccupHaddockIII: I do like cliffhangers. :) HICCSTRID FOR THE WIN! :D**

**silverwolvesarecool: Who knows what it is. You never know with me. :)**

**LOTS MORE MOTHER/SON BONDING IN THIS CHAPTER! YAY! :D Enjoy chapter 16! :D **

_Hiccup was standing in the middle of the village plaza, surrounded by fire. He wasn't sure what was going on, but it didn't take a genius to realize that it wasn't good. There wasn't any screaming, like one would expect to hear when an entire village is being engulfed in flames. _

_ "Astrid!?" Hiccup called, coughing violently when he inhaled some of the smoke. When he got no reply, he started searching desperately for a way to escape the flames, but no such luck. They were surrounding him from all directions, and they seemed to be moving slowly towards him. _

_ He felt alone. "Mom?" he called. "Astrid!?" He got silence both times. "Anybody!?" he yelled, cupping his hands around his mouth and screaming at the top of his lungs. Still no reply. Maybe they evacuated? But that wasn't possible. He would have known. Someone would have told him. _

_ Suddenly, from within the flames, growls met Hiccup's ears; loud, long, harsh, menacing growls that would have melted the skin off your bones. Hiccup turned in the direction from whence they came, but then it changed, and they came from behind him. No matter where he looked, the growls always came from the opposite direction. He tried looking over the fire, but the flames were too high. So, all he could do was wait and hope for the best. _

_ Then, the wolves showed themselves. They seemed to materialize straight out of the fire, barking growls tearing from their throats. They went from orange to grey in a matter of seconds, parts of their skin burned and matted in places. Their eyes were cold, and lifeless, as if the creature didn't even have a conscience. Blood dripped from their fangs and painted their front paws red; it was enough to make someone sick. _

_ It was at that moment that Hiccup realized he was unarmed. He reached for Inferno, and then found that he didn't have it. He then looked for his dagger on his belt, but he didn't have that, either. He tried shouting for Toothless, but when one of the wolves snapped at him, he gave up. _

_ They were approaching him from all directions, the fire growing stronger behind them. Hiccup knew that even if he managed to escape the wolves, there was no escaping the flames that were building up from behind them. _

_ Then, all at once, the wolves pounced. They bit him, scratched him, growled and barked in his face. Hiccup screamed, shouting every name of every single villager he could think of in a desperate attempt to get help. _

_"There's no one to help you," voices whispered, although Hiccup didn't know where they were coming from. "You're alone. No one is here. Give up. Give up, Hiccup." The fire grew larger, until it engulfed Hiccup and the wolves. _

Hiccup shot upright with a breathy shriek. The first thing he noticed was that he was freezing. His body was shaking, and his breath came in huge gasps as if he were struggling to get air into his lungs. It felt like there was something blocking his dry, raw throat, and no amount of swallowing would make it disappear.

It didn't take him long to learn that Valka was sitting next to him, rubbing his back soothingly as Hiccup gasped for breath. The nightmare still remained fresh in his mind, and every time he blinked or closed his eyes, all he saw were the wolves and the fire.

"Hiccup," Valka said. "It's alright." When Hiccup didn't respond, Valka hugged him, his head against her shoulder. Hiccup hugged her back, trying to keep his tears at bay although they fell anyway. The nightmare felt too real. All his friends were gone, or dead, at least. Thinking about it made him sob harder, and that made Valka hug him tighter.

"It's alright, it's alright, shhhh," Valka said, rocking herself and her son back and forth. "You're alright, Hiccup." She had come upstairs a few minutes prior to find Hiccup tossing and turning. A minute later, he woke up like he was now; shaking and sobbing in his mother's arms.

Valka put her hand on the back of Hiccup's head and ran her fingers through his sweaty hair. He had another fever, and it was high. Reaching over, she grabbed the cloth soaked in the bucket of water and put it on the top of Hiccup's head. His face was still buried in her shoulder, and she didn't want to make him pull away so she could put the cloth on his forehead. He was shuddering, and it made Valka filled with sorrow towards her sick little boy.

"Do you need anything?" Valka asked. Hiccup didn't respond. Instead, he held her tighter. In an instant, Valka knew what he needed, and reacted accordingly, holding him against her, running her fingers through his hair in a soothing manner, and shushing his almost constant sobs.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Valka asked, simply because she knew that talking about it could help.

"W-wolves…" Hiccup choked. "W-wolv-ves a-and fire…t-the village…b-burni-ing…I-I was al-l-lone…" He dissolved into more sobs, and Valka held him even tighter.

"You're not alone anymore, Hiccup," she promised.

"T-they at-atack-ked me…" Hiccup whimpered. "T-they t-tried to…k-kill…" His voice trailed off, and he sobbed once again.

"It's alright," Valka said. "It was a dream. It wasn't real."

"Felt s-so r-real…" Hiccup whispered.

"Oh sweetheart…" Valka said. "It wasn't real. The wolves are gone. They won't hurt you."

"Sure?" Hiccup asked.

"I would like to see them try," Valka said. In honesty, between her, Astrid, and Toothless, Valka didn't think that _any _wolf stood a chance.

Hiccup nodded against her shoulder, his stiff body finally relaxing. He was almost limp, exhausted from crying and having to deal with so many nightmares on his own. His sobs didn't lessen, and his tears soaked Valka's shoulder, not that she cared about that. She was focused on her son, and her son only.

"I've got you," Valka said reassuringly, her voice a soft whisper. "I've got you. The wolves won't hurt you. I'm here. I'll always be here."

It didn't take long for Hiccup to fall asleep after that, and once he did, Valka laid him back down, pulling the blankets over his body. He rolled over on his side and curled into himself, but other than that did nothing. He was shivering violently, his body wracked with chills, and Valka wished so desperately that there was something else she could do.

Maybe there _was _something else she could do.

She hated watching him shiver, trying to find heat beneath the blankets. She hated seeing him in so much pain, to the point where he would sob and cry freely in her arms, utterly broken. She hated seeing Hiccup – who defeated Drago Bludvist and took on the role of Chief in the same day; the same Hiccup who was usually so strong – in such a vulnerable state. Not only that, though, but he was her _son_. No true mother could stand to watch their child in pain.

So, Valka laid beside him, wrapping her arms around him and pulling him to her chest, trying to warm up his freezing body. His forehead burned, but the rest of him felt almost like ice against Valka's skin, and her heart broke just a little bit more.

She held him close, and stayed there for a long time.


	17. Chapter 17

**So, I've got a fever now, so if the writing seems strange...sorry. Hopefully I don't do anything weird. XD Just joking!...but seriously. Shout-outs soon, ya'll! :D You people are AMMMMMMMAAAAAZZZZZZZIIIIIINGGGGG! :D **

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><p>When Hiccup finally fell into a deeper sleep, and after his body felt a bit warmer, Valka stood up, throwing yet another blanket over Hiccup as she went. Oh how she wanted to just simply hug him to her forever, never leave him, and always be right beside him to protect him from night terrors and despicable nightmares. However, she knew that, as much as she wanted to, there were other things she had to do, like get Hiccup's medicine ready for him when he woke up. She wanted him to get better as fast as was humanly possible. She hated seeing him in that weakened, feverish state.<p>

So, she heated some water over the hearth, and with that done, let the herbs Halima brought over soak in the hot water for ten minutes straight. Then, she poured it into a cup, and brought it upstairs. She didn't want to wake Hiccup, so she decided that she would wait a few more minutes for him to wake up on his own before she offered him the medicine.

He was sleeping fitfully, and Valka felt terrible, not being able to do anything to take his pain away from him. She re-wet the now humid rag on his forehead, and then returned it to its spot, letting it continue in its job of cooling Hiccup down. Hiccup shuddered when the wet rag met his forehead, and Valka looked at his face sympathetically. She set the cup on the table, and then sat down beside him, running her fingers through his hair. His whimpering quieted, his breathing deepening as Valka continued. After a few more minutes, Hiccup's eyes opened slowly, and he regarded her.

"…Hi," he managed.

Valka smiled down at him, her eyes sad.

"I don't like dreams anymore…" Hiccup murmured tiredly. "They're all nightmares…I don't get it."

"It's probably your fever that's a big part of it," Valka said. "Your temperature is high."

"Cold," Hiccup mumbled. "If my temperature's so high then why…why's it so…so cold…"

"Fever," Valka said. "You have chills."

"Cold…s-so cold…" Hiccup said, pulling his blanket further up his body, drawing his knees up to his chest. As much as Valka wished she could deny it, she honestly couldn't shake the fact that Hiccup _did _look freezing. He was shuddering, shaking, and his teeth were chattering. His skin was pale, his cheeks flushed due to his high fever.

"I know," Valka said, putting the back of her hand against Hiccup's cheek. "I know."

"C-can I t-take the cloth off?" Hiccup asked. The tone of his voice made Valka want to say yes to him instantly, but she knew that she needed to keep Hiccup cool if his fever was going to stay tamed.

"No, son," Valka said. "I'm sorry, but you have to keep it on for now, or your fever could get higher."

"'Kay…" Hiccup said breathily. Valka looked back at the table, remembering the medicine she had to get Hiccup to drink. She picked the cup up off the table, and then looked back at Hiccup.

"Hey, Hiccup?" Valka said, shaking his shoulder gently.

"Y…yes?" he asked, cracking his eyes open long enough to look at her.

"This is some medicine the healer brought over for you," Valka said.

"Wait…the healer came?" Hiccup asked as Valka helped him sit up, putting the cup in his hands, one of her own hands over his while her other arm was wrapped around his shoulders.

Valka nodded. "Yesterday," she said, "while you were sleeping."

"Oh," Hiccup said, taking a sip of the medicine. "Doesn't taste too bad…" he said after swallowing. "I've had worse in the past."

"The healer said you have to drink one cup twice a day," Valka explained rather hastily, supporting Hiccup's weight as he downed the contents of the cup. Once it was empty, Valka set it back down on the table and brought the blanket over her son once again.

"Doesn't sound too bad," Hiccup said. "What did she say I had?"

"Oh…well, we can talk about it later," Valka said, at the moment not wanting to tell Hiccup just what it was that was ailing him. He just looked so exhausted… "You'll be alright, though," Valka promised.

"I've been worse than this before," Hiccup said. "I used to get sick all the time, when I was younger…every winter I would get a cold that normally turned into something worse."

Valka smiled unconvincingly, putting her hand over the cloth on his forehead. "I'm sorry I wasn't there, Hiccup," she said. She was always feeling guilty about leaving Hiccup behind all those twenty years ago, and although she knew Hiccup had already forgiven her, the guilt was still there.

"Hey, you're here now," Hiccup said. "That's the important thing, right?"

"Right, I suppose you're right," Valka said, although the guilt wasn't abated. She glanced back down at Hiccup, who instantly looked up to meet her eyes. "Do you want me to get you anything?" she asked. "Maybe soup, or some water?"

"Water sounds great," Hiccup said. "I can get it-"

"Oh no you don't," Valka said, pushing Hiccup back down by his shoulders. He may have been sick, but he was still so stubborn. "You're staying here, and _I _will get it."

"You've already done enough. I think it's time I finally do something," Hiccup said, trying to sit up, failing when his mother made him lay down again. "_Mom_."

"Hiccup, I'm your mother," Valka said. "I want to take care of you. It's my job."

"But you don't have to," Hiccup said.

"I know," Valka said, "but I _want _to, Hiccup. I love you."

"I love you too, Mom," Hiccup said in response. Valka smiled at him, kissed his forehead, and then left to get him some water.

As she was about to return to the loft, the door swung open so quickly Valka was sure she heard one of the hinges snap. Astrid and Toothless ran in, both looking a mix of relieved and terrified.

"Astrid!?" Valka asked, instantly catching the girl's expression. "What happened? What's wrong?"

"I…I need to tell you something," Astrid said. "It's kind of important."


	18. Chapter 18

**Hey guys. So, sorry for the short chapter and all. Still sick. :( My eyes are hurting now... **

**But enough of my complaining. I want to thank everyone who reads and reviews for their support on this story, and I'm sorry I can't do shout-outs just yet, so I'll try the next chapter... **

**I was wondering. Would you read a what-if one-shot for HTTYD2 if I wrote it? Just wondering if anyone would be interested. No spoilers yet; just let me know what you think. Thanks, you guys are awesome! :D **

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><p>It took only but a minute for Astrid to explain what she and Toothless had found, and Valka listened, keeping herself from speaking. When Astrid finished her tale, Valka looked from the girl to Toothless.<p>

"It's true?" she asked.

Astrid nodded. "I didn't think so at first, but then we further investigated, and…" she began, her voice trailing off. "What should we do? Should we tell Hiccup?"

Valka was shaking her head before Astrid even finished speaking. "No, I don't think we should tell Hiccup just yet," Valka said. "We should wait until he's gained some strength back, and then maybe until he's up and walking again."

"I agree," Astrid said, nodding her head. "Speaking of Hiccup, how's he getting along?"

"Alright," Valka said. "I'm getting him some water. I don't think his appetite has improved as far as food goes, but at least he's staying hydrated for as far as I know. We don't want him getting worse."

Astrid nodded. "You go on ahead and give it to him then," she said. "I was just wondering when we should tell the village about Hiccup. Gobber and Fishlegs can only take over for so long before the villagers get suspicious."

"We could tell them sooner now that we know what's ailing Hiccup," Valka said after nodding her head. "And I think Gobber and Fishlegs can handle the village until Hiccup gets better."

"When are you suggesting we tell them?" Astrid asked.

"You could ask Fishlegs and Gobber to go ahead and tell them now," Valka said. "There's really no point in waiting. Just make sure you ask Gobber and Fishlegs to tell the villagers that Hiccup can't really be disturbed right now. Of course, if you don't mind telling Gobber and Fishlegs-"

"Of course I don't mind," Astrid said. "Yeah, I'll let them know. Stormfly could use some exercise, too, so I'll leave Toothless here."

"Thank you, Astrid," Valka said as Astrid turned to leave once again. Astrid turned around, and smiled.

"Anything I can do to help," she said. She opened the door, stepped outside, and then headed off. Valka then turned and ascended the staircase, back up to Hiccup's loft. He was as she had left him, only this time, his back was to her, and by the sounds of his even breaths, he was sleeping. She felt bad, because she knew she was going to wake him up so he could drink the water, but she also knew that he needed to stay hydrated.

"Hiccup," she said, shaking his shoulder gently as she sat on the edge of the bed. "Hiccup?"

"Mmmph?" Hiccup murmured, rolling over on his back again.

"Hey," Valka whispered, "I have your water." She didn't bother to add "if you want it", because it wasn't a matter of Hiccup wanting it. No, he _needed _to stay hydrated, and she was going to make sure that he did.

"Oh…thanks," Hiccup said. Valka helped him sit up, one of her hands cupping the back of his neck while her other hand helped him hold onto the water cup. Hiccup drank it quickly.

"Not too fast, Hiccup," Valka said. "You don't want to throw up again."

Hiccup nodded. After a few more moments, after the cup was empty, Valka sat the empty cup down on the bedside table while Hiccup slid back so he was laying once again. Valka pulled the blankets over his body, tucking them around him when he shivered, wishing – so desperately wishing – that there was more she could do for her son.

"Thank you…" Hiccup said breathlessly. "For-for everything."

Valka thought about what to say, but she was never very good with words. So instead of speaking, she bent down, kissing the part of his forehead that wasn't covered by the cloth. And that must have been enough, because a moment later, Hiccup let his eyes close, and he was whisked from consciousness into a land of sleep.

Toothless cooed as he stood in the doorway, having just decided that following Valka is what he would do. Valka turned to look at him, her face soft.

"He's alright, Toothless," Valka said. Once she finished speaking, she returned her attention back to Hiccup, readjusting the blankets around her son's body without the need to do it at all. "He's sleeping now."

Toothless nodded, glad to hear that at least Hiccup was resting. He curled up on his stone slab in the corner, watching Valka and Hiccup alike.

"I know you're worried," Valka said. "I am too, but Hiccup's going to be fine. He's strong. Stronger than he's given credit for if you ask me."

Toothless growled in agreement. As long as Hiccup was alright, then so was he.


	19. Chapter 19

**Hello! I'm bbbbbbbbbbaaaaaaccccccccccckkkkk! :D Okay, so, you know how I said I was sick? Well, went to the doctor, and turns out, I have a double ear infection. So, it might take me a little bit longer to update then usual, and I'm sorry about that, but yeah. :) Enjoy chapter 19! :D**

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><p>When Hiccup woke up, it was dark. He figured it was evening, but that was all he could reckon. He felt hot; far, far, far too hot. But at the same time, there was a numbing cold pain in his leg that traveled through his body that made him feel freezing. He knew he had a fever, but he also felt cold.<p>

He was alone besides Toothless, who was sleeping in the corner. Hiccup couldn't help but wonder where his mother was, but he couldn't think about that for longer than a few minutes. His leg felt like someone was constantly stabbing it with a dagger, and his body felt hot yet cold at the same time.

Part of him wanted to call his mother, but the other part of him didn't want to disturb her. He figured she was sleeping; where else would she be, and what else would she be doing? Astrid wasn't anywhere to be found, either. She was probably back at her own house, sleeping away.

Hiccup tried countless times to get back to sleep, but each time, the new position he got himself in only made it more painful. He tried to find warmth beneath the blankets, but it didn't work, and he was left shivering uncontrollably, his teeth chattering.

He couldn't stop the tears that rolled down his face, just because it hurt so bad. His leg hurt, and it hurt terribly. Normally, he could hide his pain, but now, he found it impossible.

Hiccup heard rustling, and then looked towards the corner as Toothless lifted his head off the stone slab, regarding his rider with a worried coo.

"I'm alright," Hiccup said, his voice strained and choked. "I'm alright." He wasn't alright, though, and Hiccup knew that his dragon could see right through his act. Toothless stood up, walking towards the staircase...

Hiccup knew what he was going to do, and he also knew that he had to try to prevent it.

"No, Toothless, don't!" Hiccup said in a harsh whisper. Toothless turned around, eying Hiccup curiously, confusion obvious on his face, even in the darkness. "Don't wake her up," Hiccup begged. "Please, don't wake her up, just...I'll be okay, buddy. See? I'm fine."

Toothless gave him an "are-you-serious?" look; not the question kind, but the sarcastic kind.

"No, just whatever you do..." Hiccup said, stopping to hiss through his teeth and groan. Toothless growled worriedly, bounding over to Hiccup. The floorboards shook underneath the dragon's feet, and Hiccup shushed him.

"No, Toothless, sshhhhh, you have to be quiet!" Hiccup said harshly, his voice quiet but his anger yet evident. "I'll be alright in a few minutes. It'll pass."

Toothless snorted, but did nothing else. He laid his head down on Hiccup's chest, and Hiccup rolled over, nuzzling up to the warmth of his dragon's scales. The heat felt wonderful against Hiccup's cold skin, and Hiccup couldn't stop the sigh of contentedment that escaped him.

"Th...thank you, Toothless," Hiccup said breathlessly. He closed his eyes and tried to go to sleep, but just that seemed impossible. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't find a position that was even comfortable in the least. Toothless kept him warm, but there wasn't anything else that the dragon could do to help.

"I'll be okay, Toothless..." Hiccup whispered, but sleep just didn't come.

...

Valka woke up to sobbing. When Hiccup got to sleep, that evening, Valka had told Astrid that the girl should head home for some real sleep. Astrid had left, promising to return, and Valka had went to get some sleep herself after checking on Hiccup. She gave Toothless strict orders to wake her up if something happened, and so far, nothing did.

Until she heard the sobbing. As soon as she did, she was up and out of bed, rushing to her son's room, hoping that he wasn't in the middle of another night terror. She hated seeing him in that state, crying and screaming during the agony of his nightmares, waking up shaky and terrified afterwards. It was more than Valka could stand. She couldn't bear to see her child in such a position. It broke her heart.

When she got to the top of the stairs, she found Hiccup curled up against Toothless, who was half-laying on the bed, his front paws on the furnature, his back legs on the ground. He turned his head in Valka's direction when she walked up, and cooed worriedly at his rider.

That was all it took. Valka crossed the room, and Toothless stepped back. As soon as he did, Hiccup protested.

"No...buddy..." he said drowsily. "Don't go..."

As soon as Hiccup spoke, Valka sat down on the bed, lifting his shaking body onto her lap, rubbing his back soothingly. Hiccup nuzzled his face into her chest, relaxing in her hold.

"Mom..." he whispered. "I'm...sorry. D-did I want you up?" She didn't answer right away, and even if she did, she didn't need to. Hiccup knew the answer already. "I'm sorry," he whispered.

"No, sweetie," Valka said quickly, pulling away just barely long enough to kiss his forehead gently. "I _want_ you to wake me up when you're in pain, alright?"

"B-but...you've...you've already done so...so much..." Hiccup said. "I don't...I don't want to...to do anything to make you...burdened..."

Valka shook her head, smiling softly. "Silly boy..." she whispered. "I want to take care of you, Hiccup. You're never a burden, and I want you to know that. Okay?"

"O...ok-kay," Hiccup said.

"Alright," Valka said. "Now, tell me, please. What hurts?"

"M...my leg," Hiccup said. "Hurts."

"Alright," Valka said. "Is that all?"

"It's cold," Hiccup said, nuzzling his head head underneath Valka's chin for emphasis. "You're warm."

Valka smiled sadly, her hold on him tightening. After a moment, she adverted her gaze, reaching over to grab his blanket and wrap it around him. He sighed in contentedment, sagging against his mother wearily.

"There," Valka said, smiling at Hiccup's reaction to the warmth. "Is that better?"

Hiccup nodded against her neck. "Better," he said.


	20. Chapter 20

**Hi. Hello. Salutations awesome people! :D So, sorry I didn't update earlier. As most of you know, both my ears are infected right now, so...yeah. I've been sleeping a lot today...I've just recently felt up to writing another chapter, so here it is. :) I'm also updating for WBOTR in a minute...yeah, so that too. And I just want to say thanks to all who've said in reviews that they hope I feel better. You may not know this yet, but it means a lot to me. :) And thanks for all your support. This story shouldn't be much longer; maybe three or four chapters more, I dunno...**

**Can't think straight right now. :P So, enjoy the chapter, and I'll work to update tomorrow! :D**

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><p>Valka held him for a whole half an hour straight, until she was certain he was sleeping soundly enough to be moved. She laid him back down, grabbing an extra blanket and throwing it over him. His fever had broken earlier that day, but now he had another one, and it seemed to be worse then all his previous ones.<p>

"Toothless, stay with him," Valka ordered, her tone desperate. "I need to go get some more water from the well. Make sure he doesn't try to get up." His fever was bad; really bad. To the point where not getting it down as soon as possible could be fatal. Toothless nodded, standing guard over his rider while Valka grabbed a bucket and raced downstairs with it, running outside and towards the well.

She tried to keep from thinking negatively, but that was nearly impossible to do. Hiccup was her son, and he was sick with a high fever. He had had fevers a lot the past few days, but now, this one was just...it was higher than usual, and that made Valka frenzied.

As she dunked the bucket into the well, Astrid walked up to it as well, a bucket dangling from her own grip.

"Valka?" she gasped when she saw Hiccup's mother. She made sure to keep her voice low; no need to wake the villagers, after all. "What are you doing?" Astrid asked.

"Getting water," Valka said simply as she hauled the now full bucket out of the well, setting it on the ground. "Hiccup has another fever, Astrid, but it's worse this time. It's higher than usual. I need to get it down."

"Do you need any help?" Astrid offered.

In truth, having Astrid to help her would be a major relief for Valka. It was always easier when the young Hofferson was so willing to help her and Hiccup out. Valka nodded.

"If you're sure," Valka said. "You don't have to..."

"No, I want to," Astrid said. "I just need to get some water back to my house, I'll tell my parents where I'm going, and then I'll head over, alright?"

"Alright," Valka said. "Thank you, Astrid."

"You're welcome," Astrid said, nodding her head. "You should go..."

"Right," Valka said. "I'll see you in a few minutes." She went off, back towards her house while Astrid filled her bucket with water.

Valka struggled little with the heavy bucket she was carrying. She didn't have time to dwell on it. Hiccup needed her to be back as soon as possible.

She pushed her front door open, and then made her way up to Hiccup's loft, ignoring what little water she spilled on her way. She could think about that later. Not now. She crossed the room, setting the bucket beside the bed and finding a clean rag. After dunking and soaking the fabric in the cold water, she wrang it out, pressing it to Hiccup's forehead to skim sweat off his brow.

Hiccup shuddered, his teeth chattering as his eyes finally slipped open. He looked up at his mother with half-lidded, unfocused eyes, and Valka looked back down at him with concern.

"Mom..." Hiccup rasped. "We...really need to...stop...meeting like this."

Valka couldn't help but smile at his remark, but it faded rather quickly. "Your fever's too high," she said. "I need to get it down. It's going to feel cold, and I'm sorry, Hiccup, but if I don't get it down..."

"I know," Hiccup said, "and I understand." Valka pressed the cloth to his forehead, and Hiccup shuddered once again. "S'alright..." he murmured sleepily.

It didn't take long for Astrid to arrive after that. She came, straight through the door and up the stairs with purpose. As soon as she was upstairs, she crossed the room, sitting down on the bed next to Valka and Hiccup, putting her hand on Hiccup's cheek.

"You weren't _kidding_," Astrid said with worry filling and overflowing her tone. "He's burning up. It hasn't been this high so far."

Valka nodded. She and Astrid worked in earnest, both of them fighting to get Hiccup's fever down before it got worse. However, even after a full hour of trying, his fever only seemed to rise.

"He's getting hotter!" Astrid announced frantically as she put the back of her hand against Hiccup's hairline, right above where the soaked cloth was sitting on his forehead. "What do we do, Valka?"

"Water's not bringing it down," Valka said. At the moment, it was tempting to just dump the entire bucket of cold water over Hiccup's head, but Valka knew she couldn't do that. He was already shivering enough as it was, and he had developed a somewhat nasty cough. "We need ice, or snow."

"Snow, got it," Astrid said, grabbing the bucket of water to refill with snow as she ran out the door. She was, for once in her life, thankful that it had snowed recently, because it made getting the ice even easier. She scooped snow into the bucket until it was full, and then ran back into the house, skipping every other step as she dashed up the staircase.

"Got it," she said, setting the bucket by the bed.

"Good," Valka said, taking a chunk of snow out of the bucket – ignoring how it numbed her fingers – and then put it on Hiccup's head.

"Do you think he'll be alright?" Astrid asked.

Valka was about to respond, but then she hesitated. She knew Hiccup was strong; stronger than he was given credit for, but she also knew that at the moment, he was weak and sick. The illness that plagued him seemed to be winning.

However, she also knew that she couldn't tell Astrid what she really thought.

"I think he'll be fine," Valka said after a moment of silence. "As long as we can get his fever down, he'll be alright."

As she tried earnestly to bring down her son's fever, Valka could only hope she was right.


	21. Chapter 21

**Hi, guys. So sorry I didn't update yesterday, so I hope you like this chapter. :) Byyyyyyeee! **

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><p>The first thing Hiccup registered was a throbbing, burning ache in his head, as if someone were smashing it with a hammer repeatedly. He moaned softly, tossing his head to the side as if doing so would stop the pounding.<p>

"His fever's holding, but at least it hasn't gone up any higher." Hiccup would recognize that voice anywhere; the voice of his mother, sounding both full of concern yet colored with relief here and there. There was a hand against his cheek, and Hiccup leaned into it like a dog seeking attention. He knew without opening his eyes that it was Valka's hand.

"What are we going to do, Valka?" another voice – Astrid's voice – asked. Astrid sounded worried; nothing else. Just worried. Maybe even more than worried. What was she doing here? Hiccup thought.

The second thing Hiccup registered besides the voices of Astrid and his mother was the fact that he felt like he was burning. He felt like he was being burned alive over a furnace. He felt like he was in an operational and occupied forge with no windows or doors or any way to get fresh air circulating, and he knew what that felt like from experience. It wasn't something he was fond of.

"_What_ can we do that we aren't already _doing_?" Valka said. She sounded upset, and Hiccup guessed that she was upset because she felt helpless. He knew what it was like to feel helpless, and he also knew that he hated the feeling. A sharp pain stabbed his stomach, and he whimpered, nuzzling into his mother's hand.

"Shhhh," she whispered, her tone changing altogether. It went from angry and upset to calm and soothing in just an instant. She ran her thumb over his cheek gently, her touch feather light. "Shhhh, rest."

Hiccup tried to open his eyes, but it didn't work. His lids felt so heavy, and he felt so tired. He wanted to sleep. Sleep sounded amazing. At the same time, however, he didn't want to fall asleep again. He wanted to say something to his mother and best friend, maybe to reassure them that he was alright. He tried to speak, but it came out as a strangled, choked sob.

"No, it's alright," Valka said soothingly, her voice surprisingly calm. "Don't cry, sweetheart. You're alright. I'm here."

It was at that moment that he realized he was crying. His tears were slipping in between his tightly shut lids, and he couldn't stop them. Everything hurt. His head hurt, his leg hurt, his stomach hurt, he couldn't breathe without it hurting, he felt like he was being roasted alive...

Another moment later, he felt like he was freezing to death. It was a strange sensation; one moment the room was sweltering hot and the next moment it felt like he was in a blizzard without a coat.

"Take a breath, Hiccup," Valka said. Hiccup swallowed before doing as she had said, breathing through his mouth. He coughed a few times, an each time made him feel worse. It worsened his headache, and made him feel even more helpless and pathetic. "That's it..." Valka whispered. "Easy..._easy_...deep breaths, sweetheart..."

"His fever's holding strong," Astrid said worriedly, squeezing his hand. Strange, Hiccup didn't feel her holding his hand until now.

"I know," Valka said. "We need to fetch the healer if he gets any worse."

The healer. Hiccup didn't want Valka or Astrid sending for a healer. He didn't want to feel weak. He hated feeling weak, even if it was the truth. He absolutely positively despised it. He couldn't make them get a healer.

"N...n..." He cut himself off by a single, harsh cough. "N-n-no heal..." He couldn't believe how raspy his throat was. He was certain that Valka and Astrid couldn't make out a thing he was saying. He figured it just sounded like delirious blubbering.

"Shhhh," Valka said. "You don't have to speak. Rest. Relax, Hiccup."

His stomach twisted, and he couldn't stop the whimper of pain that pushed past his lips.

"I know," Valka said. "I know, I know it hurts. Just hang in there." It was meant to be reassuring, but for some reason, it didn't make Hiccup feel any better. His stomach flipped, and he knew that he would have to get rid of whatever he had left in his stomach sooner or later.

"What can I do, Valka?" Astrid asked, trying to be helpful although to Hiccup, her words sounded fuzzy and barely recognizable.

"We'll need some more snow in a bit," Valka said, "but probably not for another little while. There's nothing else you can do right now-"

"Mom..." Hiccup gasped out as his stomach churned yet again. He felt wretched. Valka was about to shush him again, but he held up a shaky hand an instant later to stop her. "Mom...s-sick..." he choked.

Both Astrid and Valka were silent for a moment, trying to figure out what Hiccup was talking about. It was Astrid who discovered it first.

"Are you going to be sick?" Astrid clarified, and Hiccup nodded. As soon as he did, Astrid got up to find a bucket while Valka helped Hiccup into a sitting position. As soon as Astrid found what she was looking for and set the bucket in front of Hiccup, he turned and vomited into it.

"That's it," Astrid said an instant later. "I'm getting the healer." She stood up and raced away without another word, leaving Valka with her sick son. The mother held her boy in a sitting position as he leaned over the bucket, sobbing for a reason Valka didn't fully know.

"Hey," Valka whispered, her hand running up and down Hiccup's back in a comforting motion. "It's alright."

Hiccup didn't _feel _alright, but he kept from saying that out loud. Instead of speaking, he fell against Valka sideways, his head on her thigh. She immediately draped her arm over him, her fingers running through his hair. He sighed, silently craving her motherly, gentle touch.

"Astrid will be back with the healer soon," Valka promised, whispering for a reason she didn't fully know. "We'll get you checked out, alright?"

Hiccup nodded. He hoped that Astrid and the healer hurried. He was feeling worse by the second.


	22. Chapter 22

**Hello, all you awesome people! :D So, yes, 'tis me...once again...**

**I have no idea how long this fanfiction is going to be, but I can't imagine it going over 24 chapters. That's right, guys! It means we're almost finished! I try to update once or twice a day, and sometimes three times a day if you guys are lucky. :) So, that's it...**

**Yeah. And my birthday's next week. **

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><p>"He's getting worse," Astrid said hastily as she and Halima entered the Haddock abode. "His fever's gotten higher, and he's been throwing up again."<p>

Halima nodded, her face grave as she and Astrid climbed the stairs to Hiccup's loft once again. He looked awful, laying on his back, his upper body in Valka's lap while she ran her fingers through his hair in what looked like a comforting gesture. He was pale and shivering, his cheeks flushed.

Halima crossed the room and began examining her patient. Hiccup hardly made a move or a sound aside from the occasional whimper that escaped him. Astrid watched, feeling helpless and wishing that there was something else she could do. After a few minutes, Halima stepped back.

"There's improvement," she said. "His body's fighting back. That's the reason for the fever and the nausea."

"Does that mean he's getting better?" Astrid asked.

"If he can fight through this stage," Halima said, "then he should be fine. But of course, he's still very weak."

"But he's fighting it, right?" Astrid asked.

"Yes," Halima said, "but his body can only do so much. Keep doing what you're doing, give him the medicine I brought over, make sure he stays hydrated, and try to get him to eat something. Even if it's something simple. He needs something in his system."

Valka and Astrid nodded in unison. Afterwards, Halima left the residence. By the time she did, Hiccup was sleeping fitfully, his deep breathing wheezy and raspy and hardly sounding healthy.

"He looks awful, Valka," Astrid said. "Is there nothing else we can do?"

"I don't think so," Valka said. "Not yet." As she spoke, her fingers danced through Hiccup's hair, and Hiccup's breathing evened out just a little bit more. "His body's fighting it off. We have to just let it do what it has to do and hope for the best."

Astrid nodded. "What should I do?" she asked helpfully.

"Heat up some water," Valka said. She reached over, picking up a bag from the desk and handing it to Astrid. "Here. Soak a few of these herbs in it, and then bring it back. We need to give Hiccup some."

Astrid nodded once again as she bolted down the stairs. Valka turned her attention back on Hiccup as he stirred, moaning as he tried to either switch positions or sit up. Valka put her hand on his cheek, keeping him from too much movement. He stilled again, but his whimpers continued.

Astrid returned just a few more minutes later with a cup, its contents steaming. "Here," she said as she handed it to Valka. Valka took it from the girl gingerly. She slid one of her hands underneath Hiccup's head and lifted him just a bit. With her other hand, she brought the cup to his lips. His feverish, clogged mind told him to reject it, which he did, tossing his head to the side opposite of the cup. Valka was patient. Worried, but patient. She tried again, but Hiccup kept avoiding it. When she finally managed to get him to swallow some, he choked, his mind still telling him not to accept it.

"Come on, Hiccup," Valka coaxed as she tipped the cup so that little by little her son swallowed the medicine. "Swallow. Swallow it, Hiccup." Astrid watched, her hands folded losely in front of her. She didn't know what else to do, but watching Hiccup in this state for so long was nearly killing her.

It took nearly ten minutes, but Hiccup finally downed the contents of the cup. Valka set it aside, grabbed another handful of snow – now half-melted – and put it against Hiccup's forehead. He shuddered, but made no other move.

At length, his eyes slipped open. He gazed up at Valka, and then looked over at Astrid as she sat down on the side of the bed.

"M...Mom..." he rasped. Valka met his eyes as she put her hand against his cheek in a reassuring gesture. "Wh...what...?"

Valka shook her head. "It isn't important," she said. "The important thing is you're going to be fine."

"Don't..." Hiccup said, "don't _feel_...fine..."

"I know," Valka said. "Not yet, but you will. Soon. I promise."

Hiccup nodded, and closed his eyes for just a moment.

* * *

><p>When he opened his eyes again, it was morning. Sunlight was streaming through his window. Toothless wasn't on his stone slab. Hiccup figured that he was out, probably doing Alpha things. He was the Alpha dragon, after all.<p>

He also noticed that Valka was laying beside him, sleeping soundly. He decided not to wake her. There was no point. Instead, he stood up, taking caution so that he didn't shake the bed or make too much noise. He put his hand on his forehead. No, he didn't have a fever anymore. He felt sweaty and miserable, but not as bad as he had the day before. Too much movement made him feel as though he were going to be sick, but he easily ignored that.

He didn't feel sick, but he didn't feel completely well, either.

After making sure his mother was still asleep, he began down the stairs, taking caution so he didn't trip. He didn't feel sick, but he felt unbelievably weak. His legs were shaky, and his wounded leg felt sore. Nothing major, which made him pleased.

The main floor of his house was empty, but bright from the sunlight pouring through the windows. Crossing the room, he sat down at the table with a sigh. Just the walk downstairs robbed him of what little energy he had. He put his arms on the table, and rested his head on top of them, closing his eyes.

Before he had the chance to fall asleep, the door opened, and he lifted his head once again. Astrid stepped through, taking one look at him before gasping.

"Hiccup!" she shouted.

Hiccup put his finger to his lips, and Astrid quieted. "My Mom's sleeping," he said.

Astrid walked towards him and sat down beside him. "What are you doing up?" she said angrily, her voice a harsh whisper.

"I..." Hiccup thought for a moment. What _was _he doing up? "I was just...I didn't feel as bad as I did yesterday, so I figured..."

"No," Astrid said. "You should be resting. Your fever just broke last night. You don't have the strength to be up and moving here and there."

"Mmmm...yeah...I'm getting that..." Hiccup said. "Now I'm tired."

"Yeah, well, you can't sleep here," Astrid said.

Instead of responding, Hiccup fell asleep.


	23. Chapter 23

"Oh come on...Hiccup," Astrid groaned as he slumped forward against the table, his head on his arms. "I told you, you can't sleep her...oh for the love of..." She thought about moving him, but he looked so peaceful. His position didn't look comfortable in the least, but he was still sleeping soundly. She didn't want to move him, or wake him up so he could go somewhere else. So, she grabbed a blanket and draped it over his shoulders before sitting down next to him again to make sure he didn't fall off the bench.

A few minutes later, Valka ran down the stairs, looking panicked at first and then relieved when she saw where Hiccup was. She looked from Astrid and Hiccup for just a moment before moving over to sit on Hiccup's other side.

"What's he doing up?" she whispered to Astrid.

"That's what I was wondering," Astrid replied. "I think he just got...I don't know. He never really said what he was doing up. I think he was just bored, or something."

Valka nodded, rubbing Hiccup's back subconsciously. "But he made it out here without collapsing on the way. That could be a good sign. Before, he could hardly sit up on his own."

Astrid nodded. "I hope you're right," she said. "I hate seeing him sick like this."

"Me too," Valka agreed. "I'm going to heat up some of that leftover soup in case he wants to try to eat something when he wakes up." As she spoke, she stood up to do as she had said she would. Astrid nodded, remaining by Hiccup's side while Valka worked.

An hour passed before Hiccup stirred. He bolted upright, rubbing furiously at his eyes.

"Morning, sleepy head," Astrid said, almost too cheerfully. "How are you feeling?"

"Meh," Hiccup said, dropping his head back to the table.

"That doesn't tell me much," Astrid said.

"Meh," Hiccup responded.

"That bad, then, huh?" she asked in confirmation, grimacing as she spoke.

"Meeeeeh." Hiccup held that one out longer than was necessary, not even looking at her or moving elsewise.

"Seriously, Hiccup," Astrid said. "Are you feeling better? Any worse?"

"Mostly tired," Hiccup said, his voice muffled. "I'm feeling better, though."

"That's good," Astrid said, nodding her head. "You scared the living daylights out of your mother and me. Don't do that again."

"Meh," Hiccup said. "Don't plan on it."

"Yeah, good for you," Astrid replied. "Because if you were planning on it, I would have flattened you."

"Mmmhmm...good to know I'm appreciated," Hiccup murmured.

Astrid raised an eyebrow. "Was that sarcasm or not?" she asked.

"Figure it out," Hiccup repsponded.

Astrid pouted and crossed her arms. "And you thought I was the annoying one," she said, shaking her head.

"Meh," Hiccup mumbled.

Astrid put on an angry face, although it was clear she was only faking it. "Is that all you have to say to me?" she questioned with mock shock.

"Meh," Hiccup said.

"Oh!" Astrid exclaimed, faking an accent. "Ah. I have never seen such disgrace before! Say that to my face, Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third. I dare you."

"Meh," Hiccup said.

"Unheard of!" Astrid said. "I call treason! Profanity!"

"You can't call treason on your Chief!" Hiccup complained, faking a thick accent, much like Astrid was doing.

"I just did," Astrid said.

"Aww, but I'm sick!" Hiccup said. "Look at me!"

"Uh-huh," Astrid said. "Aside from hardly eating anything for the past few days, you seem fine to me!"

They stared at each other, their expressions dead serious, until in unison, they burst into laughter. Valka entered the room, and they instantly shut themselves up, putting on the most casual expression as was possible.

"What are you two laughing about?" she asked.

"Nothing," Hiccup and Astrid answered in sync, shaking their heads in perfect unison. Valka looked at them suspiciously before she left the room once again.

"You can't call treason on your Chief," Hiccup whispered to Astrid.

"Oh yeah?" Astrid whispered back. "Says who?"

"Well," Hiccup said, "if you do, I'll send my Night Fury on you."

"Oh no!" Astrid said, getting on her knees in front of him. "Not the Night Fury!" she pleaded. "Anything but the dragon that acts like an overgrown puppy dog when you give him his favorite kind of fish! Anything but that!"

Hiccup leaned backwards. "Do not mock the Night Fury," he said.

"I'm not mocking him," Astrid said, sitting down beside Hiccup once again. "I'm describing him."

"Well," Hiccup said, "you know what I have to say to that?"

"Oh, wait, let me guess," Astrid said, spinning her index finger around her forehead. "Meh."

"Meh," Hiccup confirmed.

Valka reentered the room, carrying a bowl of soup, which she placed in front of Hiccup before sitting down beside him. "So," she said, "how are you feeling today?"

"Better," Hiccup said. "Yeah, a lot better."

Valka smiled at him. "That's gread news, Hiccup," she said. "I'm sure you'll be back to your normal self in no time."

Astrid smiled at the both of them before rising to a stand. "I should go make sure Gobber isn't naming babies again," she said. "Rest up, Hiccup."

"I will," Hiccup said. "I'll see you later on, or tomorrow?"

"Yeah, I guess so," Astrid said. She waved, and then headed off. Hiccup watched her leave before turning back to his mother. She had her arms crossed.

"What?" he asked. Valka remained unmoved. "Okay, Mom," Hiccup said, sighing, "I'm ready for my lecture." He said it as if he had been expecting it for a long time.

"You aren't supposed to be out of bed at all," Valka said. "You are _not _in a good health right now, Hiccup."

"I never said I was," Hiccup said. "I'm more in..._decent _health."

"No, not even that," Valka said. Hiccup looked at her with confusion written plainly across his face. "Hiccup," Valka said, "you were diagnosed with tularemia by the healer a few days ago."

"Tularemia?" Hiccup echoed, and Valka nodded. "That's interesting."

"You've been very sick for the past few days," Valka said. "And I mean _very _sick, Hiccup. Not just a flu, or a cold, but...tularemia. You couldn't eat. I'm sure you lost a decent amount of weight. It isn't something I would want you to ever relapse into, so until I'm sure that you're one hundred percent alright, I want you to rest and take it easy. For now, eat your soup, and then you can get some sleep."

"I feel like I've been sleeping for days," Hiccup said.

"Yes, you really have been," Valka said, "and it's helping your body heal itself. You need as much sleep as you can get."

"But what-"

"No, Hiccup. No buts about it, alright?"

Hiccup sighed, but nodded. Valka smiled at hum, ruffling his hair as she stood. "Good boy," she said. "Now enjoy your soup."


	24. Chapter 24

***11th Doctor's voice* HEEEELLLOOOOOO!**

**Sooooo, I haven't updated for a few days, and...I am so sorry. So, I made this chapter the length of two chapters! *hits applause button* *robotic kid's voice* YYYYYYYYAAAAAAAAAAYYYYYY. **

**Alright! :D So, hopefully you enjoy this. :D **

* * *

><p>Hiccup ate, watching as Valka walked back and forth, tidying up the house for no good reason.<p>

"Are you sure you don't want me to do something?" Hiccup asked.

"Positive, Hiccup," Valka said. "For the last time, now, sweetie. I want you to take it easy."

"But I just feel so bad sitting here watching you do everything," Hiccup complained. "I want to do something to help you-"

"You can," Valka said, "by just doing what you're doing."

Hiccup frowned, but didn't make any other comment. After another ten minutes, when he had finished his bowl of soup, he tried tp supress a yawn. However, Valka caught it, and instantly approached him.

"Tired?" she asked.

Hiccup nodded. "I don't understand why, though," he said. "I was just fine a minute ago, and I've been sleeping so much recently..."

"Your body's worn out, Hiccup," Valka said. "You may have been sleeping a lot recently, but all your strength has been used fighting off your virus. All in all, you're exuatsed."

"I'm tired of being tired," Hiccup moaned, resting his head on the table and closing his eyes. Valka smiled sadly at him.

"I know," she said. "I know, son. You'll feel better after some more rest. Come on, now. Let's get you to your room."

"I'm fine," Hiccup insisted as he stood up, motioning to himself when his mother reached forward in order to help him to his loft. "I can walk." His actions betrayed his words. He was exhausted, and he felt every bit of it. He would have sank to the ground if Valka hadn't stepped forward and grabbed him.

"Yes, you're fine, and I'm the Chief," Valka teased. Hiccup pouted. "Alright, sorry," she said, leading her son to his room.

"Nah, it's alright," Hiccup said. "I probably would have said the same thing. Well, maybe not the same thing, since I _am _the Chief, and...ah, I'm tired." He put his hand to his forehead for emphasis.

"I know, dear," Valka said. "Let's try to get to your bed before you fall asleep, alright?"

Hiccup nodded. When they finally climbed the steps, Hiccup practically collapsed to his bed, draping his arm over his eyes promptly afterwards. Valka closed the windows to keep sunlight from streaming through, while Hiccup rolled over on his side, trying to find a comfortable position. Valka covered him warmly, smiling when he finally closed his eyes. She bent down, brushed his bangs back, and kissed his forehead gently.

"Sleep well, Hiccup," she whispered. Hiccup cracked his eyes open, smiled, and then fell asleep.

Valka watched over him for another few minutes, reminding herself often that he was recovering, and did't need her hovering over him constantly. However, she couldn't help doing it for at least a few minutes. She had gotten into the habit of it while he was ill, and the habit still stuck.

At length, when she remembered that being at Hiccup's bedside didn't help him sleep, she headed back downstairs, unsure of just what it was she was going to do. She decided, in the end, that she needed her own sleep. She was no good at helping Hiccup if she was just as exhausted as he was. So, she headed to her room, and sleep came almost instantly.

...

Valka bolted upright with the feeling that something was wrong. She couldn't put her finger on just what it was. It just seemed...off. Something was wrong, and there was only one possible thing that could have been wrong.

It had to do with Hiccup. That was Valka's conclusion. Something was wrong with Hiccup.

She was on her feet faster than one would have imagined, skipping every other step as she ran up the stairs. Hiccup was tossing and turning, yet appeared to be awake. He rolled over on his side and regarded his mother wearily as she crossed the room, kneeling in front of him.

"Mom," he rasped, coughing harshly afterwards.

"Sh, sh, sh," Valka soothed. "No, you don't need to speak. Save your strength, dear." She put her hand on his forehead, and drew it back sharply as if he would burn her. For a moment, she thought that maybe he would. His forehead was sweltering.

After just a moment, she placed the back of her hand on his head again. He leaned into her touch.

"I'll be right back, okay?" she promised him as she stood to leave and get something to bring his fever down with. However, she froze when Hiccup grabbed her hand. There was weakness in his grip to the point where anyone would have been able to pull away, and it made Valka worried. She sat back down on the bed, subconsciously holding her son's hand.

"Don't...don't go..." Hiccup moaned. _Now _it looked as if he was sleeping, tossing his head as if it would make his fever lose its grip.

Valka wanted to stay with him after hearing his weak, desperate voice, but she knew that if she didn't get his fever down...

"I will be _right back_, Hiccup," she said forcefully, putting emphasis on each of her words.

"Please..." Hiccup pleaded. "Don't...go." On his last word, a breath escaped him, and his head lolled to the side. He was either finally sleeping, or his fever had taken his consciousness. Either way, it didn't help Valka's worries. If anything, it just made it worse. Hiccup's breathing was harsh and uneven, yet deep as if he had just finished running a marathon. Valka got to her feet and raced outside, taking a bucket with her. She filled it with snow, and then ran back to Hiccup's room.

It only took her a few seconds to get the snow, and yet Hiccup looked so much worse. Valka scooped snow out of the bucket and pressed it to his forehead. He didn't protest or move. Valka figured now that he was unconscious.

After working for over an hour with no results, Valka started to panic. She couldn't get his fever down, and he didn't wake up. He wasn't sweating, and he wasn't shivering. The only movement was the heaving rise and fall of his chest.

At length, after an undetermined time period (Valka wasn't really paying attention anymore), Hiccup stirred. It got Valka's attention as soon as it happened, and she was instantly whispering his name, running her fingers through his hair in hopes that it would wake him up.

"Hiccup," she said gently yet forcefully both at the same time. "Hiccup, come on, sweetie, wake up." At that point, she needed him to wake up and tell her that he was okay, like he always did. She needed the reassurance of his eyes opening, even if he didn't speak. His throat seemed raw, so, she thought, maybe it would be better if he didn't actually speak. All he had to do was open his eyes, and that would be enough for Valka.

And open his eyes he did, after a little bit more coaxing on Valka's part. He gazed up at Valka drowsily, as if he couldn't fully see her. He inhaled as if to speak, but Valka shushed him before he even got a word out. She stroked his cheek gently, and he closed his eyes after another moment.

"Mom," he whispered.

"Yes, love?"

"I'm..." Hiccup coughed once, cutting himself off. "I'm scared."

"I know," Valka said, although now that Hiccup said those two little words, she was terrified. He was never one to tell her how he really felt, and now that he said it out loud, she was more worried than ever before.

"I know, but you'll be alright," she promised. "You'll be alright, Hiccup."

Hiccup didn't respond, and Valka hadn't expected him to, either. After many more pathetic attempts to get his fever down, failing each time, and after many more moans and whimpers and feverish pleas of "Don't go" and "I don't want to be alone" from Hiccup, Valka scooped him into her arms and held him there, putting her cheek on his burning forehead. He sighed, sinking deeped into her cradling arms, trying to find either warmth or cool, Valka couldn't tell. He wasn't shivering, but that didn't mean he looked particullarly comfortable or warm. He did seem to be relaxed in her hold, but that was the only difference. He was still hot, he was still sick, he was still feverish, and he was still suffering.

Ten minutes passed, and Hiccup's breathing became even more shallow.

Twenty minutes passed, and it seemed he were hardly breathing at all.

An hour passed, and he was shivering.

An hour and a half passed, and he was forced into coughing fits at different bouts, each one seeming more intense and painful than the last.

Two hours passed, and everything went quiet. The onl thing indicating that Hiccup was allive at all was the small, barely noticable rise and fall of his chest, along with his dulled, green eyes, half-lidded as he gazed up at his mother's face. Valka's attention never left him.

Another half an hour passed, and Hiccup stopped breathing. His heart didn't beat. His eyes slipped shut. He went completely limp. Valka didn't want to believe it, but the evidence was clear.

He was dead.

She had failed him, and this time, there was no going back and making up for it.

...

Valka bolted upright with a small shriek. She was on her bed, in her own room, gasping from the shock and real feeling of the nightmare. It took her a moment to register the fact that she had been dreaming. It wasn't real. Hiccup wasn't dead...

Hiccup.

The nightmare had seemed too real to be fake. Before she fully knew what she was doing, Valka found herself running, not bothering to keep her footsteps silent. If Hiccup was dead, then it wasn't as if he would wake up by them.

It was dark outside, but Valka hardly registered that. She skidded to a stop at the top of the stairs, just as she stepped inside Hiccup's loft.

He was sleeping peacefully, curled into himself on his side. Valka could see the rising and falling of his chest clearly, but she was still worried. She didn't know for sure. Was he unconscious, or was he sleeping naturally? Did he have a fever? Was his breathing raspy, as it was in the dream?

She found herself approaching him, and then putting her hand on his forehead. He felt warm, but that was probably only because he was covered in multiple blankets. He could have had a minor fever, but it was to be expected. It wasn't anything out of the ordinary. There was a bit of a wheeze to his breath, but once again, it was to be expected. He was recovering from tularemia. All his symptoms so far were to be expected.

She knew that waking him up probably wasn't the best idea, and she also knew that he needed his rest, but she was also so scared for him. The nightmare had seemed far, far too realistic. So, she put one of her hands on his shoulder, and then shook him gently.

His eyes fluttered open, and he regarded her drowsily. "Mom?" he asked. "What...what is it?" She sighed, so relieved in hearing his voice that she forgot to answer his question.

"What's wrong?" Hiccup asked. "What happened?"

"Nothing," Valka whispered. "Nothing worth waking you up over. I'm sorry, sweetheart."

"No, s'alright," Hiccup slurred, his voice thick with sleep. He closed his eyes, laying his head down on his pillow again. "What...what was wrong?"

"Just a dream," Valka said.

She had to remind herself that Hiccup was right in front of her, recoveing nicely, and that her nightmare wasn't reality, no matter how real it had seemed.


	25. Chapter 25

**Okay, so, something weird happened where I posted the chapter, but it really didn't post...**

**Here it is now! :D Enjoy! :D Oh, yeah...**

**Aaand my birthday is tomorrow. :D **

* * *

><p>Valka didn't know why, but even after Hiccup fell asleep, she refused to leave him.<p>

She wasn't going to leave him after her nightmare. There was just no possible way for that to happen. She wasn't about to leave him, even for a second. She was just so worried that somehow, her nightmare would become a reality, and her Hiccup would be gone before she even knew it.

She stayed there until the sun rose, indicating that morning had come. Even then she was reluctant to leave him. Part of her thought that she was being ridiculous. It was just a dream. That was all it was. Yet still, why was she so afraid of leaving? She was afraid that if she so much as turned her back, when she looked again, Hiccup would be dead.

"Valka?"

Valka had been so consumed in her thoughts that she didn't notice the door opening, and Astrid walking up the stairs to stand in the doorway. The younger girl leaned against the doorframe, her arms crossed.

"What are you doing?" she asked. "Shouldn't you be resting?"

Valka shook her head. "Impossible, Astrid," she said. "I just...I don't know."

"Yeah, I get it," Astrid said, finally dropping her tense posture to cross the room. "You're afraid of leaving him. But you know, he's on the path to recovery. I don't think hovering over him constantly is going to make him get better faster."

"Well," Valka said, "it can't hurt, can it?"

Astrid smiled half heartedly. "True," she said. "True. I can stay with him if you don't want to leave him alone. I really don't mind."

Valka didn't argue. She thanked Astrid, and then headed downstairs to fetch Hiccup's medicine. As she left, Astrid called back to her.

"When are we going to tell him?" she asked.

"About what?" Valka replied.

Astrid took a few steps towards her. "You know," she said. "About...the thing. The thing Toothless and I found."

"Oh, that," Valka said. "I'd wait a few more days, just until he's completely well again. He gets tired easily...we don't want him passing out on Toothless' back, do we?"

Astrid shook her head feverishly. "Nope," she said. "I see your point. Yeah, sounds great."

Valka and Astrid exchanged smiles.

The next few days weren't much different then the first: Hiccup woke up long enough to eat something before falling asleep again. As the days wore on, he had more energy, and eventually only slept after doing something particularlly strenuous.

"Well," Astrid said as she entered the residence, nearly seven days after Hiccup's recovery began, "looks like someone's feeling better."

"Rather," Hiccup said. "Thanks."

"Hey, don't thank me," Astrid said, punching his shoulder lightly. "You've got one stubborn attitude, and your body's stubborn, too. Too stubborn to be taken down by something like tularemia."

Hiccup shrugged. "I guess," he said. "I mean, I'm still here, aren't I?"

"Yep," Astrid said, "and you also have your right leg, still, so you must be fine, right?"

"Right," Hiccup said.

Astrid looked around for just a moment. "Where's your Mom?" she asked after a pause.

"She left to go get the healer to check over my condition again," Hiccup said. He sighed, drumming his fingers on the table absently. "Even though I told her that I feel perfectly alright and that she doesn't need to keep worrying over me."

"Yeah, well," Astrid said, "she has right to be worried. _I _was worried, Hiccup."

Hiccup turned to her as if she had pulled the pin out of a gernade. "What?" he said. "The great Astrid Hofferson afraid of-" Astrid's balled fist connecting to his shoulder shut him up. "OW!" he yelped. "What!? What did I do!?"

"You're acting like an idiot!" Astrid snapped.

"I am _not _acting like an idiot!" Hiccup shot back.

"You know as well as anyone that I get worried just like everyone else does!" Astrid came back.

"I was trying for a _joke_, Astrid!" Hiccup said. "What do you have against the jokes?"

"It wasn't funny," Astrid said. "You scared me, Hiccup. There, I said it. I was terrified that you weren't going to pull through. I was scared I was going to _lose you_, Hiccup. I couldn't...I couldn't lose you."

There were tears in her eyes, and before they fell, Hiccup pulled her into a hug. She hugged him back fiercely, and Hiccup let her.

"Hey, I know," he said. "I know you were worried. I'm alright. You're alright. We're alright..."

"If you break out into some weird musical number, Hiccup, I'll..." Astrid started. Knowing Hiccup, she had a feeling he was going to come up with some way of lightening the situation.

"I was _not _planning on it," Hiccup said, putting more emphasis on the word "not" then what was needed.

After a few more moments, Astrid pulled back. "You're feeling better, then?" she asked.

"Almost all better," Hiccup said in response. "A bit tired, but...it's only sometimes."

"Good," Astrid said, "because I have something to show you."

Hiccup raised an eyebrow. "What?" he asked. "What is it?"

Astrid frowned. "I don't know if you'll like it or not," she said.

"Well, we've had worse conversation starters," Hiccup said after a brief silence. "Come on. Do tell. You have to tell me now that you've got me interested."

"Well..." Astrid began, wringing her hands togetehr nervously, "maybe it's better if I just show you instead."

"Alright," Hiccup said, rising to a stand, Astrid doing the same beside him. "I'll get Toothless. Where is it?"

"At Raven Point," Astrid replied. "Right in the middle of it."


	26. Chapter 26

**Hey, guys! Sorry about not updating the past few days...you know how life is. :) So, this is THE LAST chapter, and we're finally going to figure out what Astrid saw! :D YAY! *streamers* WHOOP WHOOP! :D Enjoy the final chapter! :D **

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><p>"How much closer now?" Hiccup asked Astrid for the utmost time. In response, the girl groaned.<p>

"Five minutes closer than the _last _time you asked me," she said after Hiccup looked at her with confusion. "You can stop asking any time you like, Hiccup. It's getting to be rather annoying."

Hiccup frowned. "I thought we had it settled that you were the annoying one," he said.

"You were sick then," Astrid responded. "And rather delusional, if you thought I agreed to be more annoying than you."

Hiccup laughed, and every "ha" was very pronounced. "Yeah, right," he said, "because _no one _beats Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third."

"That's right," Astrid said. "Great to see we're on the same page."

Hiccup groaned, and Astrid laughed.

It took them a remarkably short amount of time before they landed in Raven Point. After dismounting their dragons, Astrid signaled for Hiccup to follow her, which he did as she ran forward.

"What is it?" Hiccup asked. "Are you going to tell me, or just keep acting all mystical and mysterious?"

"I told you," Astrid said. "I have to show you. I don't completely know how to fully explain it."

Hiccup shrugged, following her onwards. "I just don't get it," he said. "I mean-"

"Shh," Astrid said, holding up a hand to shut him up. "We're here."

Hiccup swallowed. "If this is some sort of prank..." he began in a warning tone. After letting his unspoken threat hang in the air for just a few moments, he continued following Astrid. "Astrid," he groaned, "what are you-"

"Look," Astrid said. They climbed a hill, and then came to what looked like a cave. Hiccup stared at it, confusion filling his eyes.

"Oooooh, a cave," he said with mock surprise. "How unnatural."

"Shut up for once and listen," Astrid said.

"That's offensive," Hiccup protested.

"Deal with it," Astrid ordered. "Don't you notice something out of the ordinary? Anything at all?"

Hiccup narrowed his eyes as if expecting the cave to sprout wings and fly. "Um..._no...?" _he said. He looked closer. "No, wait a minute..." he said. "I think...what is that?"

"Well," Astrid said, "why don't you go on and find out?"

Now Astrid was the one following Hiccup as he approached the cave. He stopped directly in front of the thing he had seen. From their position on top of the hill, it looked like an unnatural clump of rock.

He was wrong.

It was a dead wolf.

It looked like it had been dead for a long time. Flies surrounded the body, and it was already beginning to decay, leaving a horrid stench in the air.

Hiccup made a face. "That's awful," he stated simply, pointing to the wolf's body. "No, that's just plain...plain..."

"It's not the worst of it," Astrid said. "Step inside the cave for a minute."

Hiccup looked back at her. "You're keeping me on my toes," he said. "Just stop with the riddles."

When Astrid didn't reply, he stepped inside the cave.

The smell hit him immedietly, and he stepped back outside.

"That smells worse then..." Hiccup began, his voice trailing off. He didn't know _what _he was going to compare that smell to. It smelled worse than anything else he had ever dealt with so far.

"You know what it is?" Astrid asked.

It took a moment, but Hiccup nodded. "Of course I do," he said. "The wolves are all dead. This cave must have been their 'den', so to speak. The tularemia they had...it killed them off."

Astrid nodded. "See why I was so worried about you, Dragon Boy?" she asked. "I knew you were strong, but seeing these wolves all dead...just _dead_, all of 'em, I just...I thought...maybe you were going to wind up like them, too."

Hiccup eyed at the first body of the wolf, and winced. "Yeah," he said. "That probably wouldn't have been too charming..."

Astrid stared at him, shocked. "Hiccup," she said, "you could have died. Do you understand that, or are you just more thick headed then I originaly thought?"

"No, I get it, Astrid," Hiccup said. He took another step backwards. "Come on," he said. "I don't want to hang around here any longer than we have to. It's already giving me the creeps."

Astrid nodded, and the two of them raced back to their dragons, mounted them, and then took off back towards the village once again.

...

"What do you think we're going to do about the bodies, Hiccup?" Astrid asked. "We can't just leave the dead wolves there. It's just...just...sickening."

"I know," Hiccup said. "I'll get Ruffnut and Tuffnut to set fire into the cave, and then knock the cave down. They'll have no problem with it. In fact, they'll probably _enjoy _doing it."

Astrid nodded. "You're probably right," she said. "You know, Hiccup, I'm just glad you're back to normal. You really worried us."

Hiccup smiled. "I tend to do that," he said with a shrug. "But don't worry. I won't be doing it again."

Now it was Astrid's turn to smile. "Good plan," she said. "I guess I won't have to flatten you now."

"Splendid," Hiccup said. "I don't like being flattened." An awkward silence settled between the two of them for a few moments, until Hiccup decided to break it. "And I just wanted to say, thanks," he said.

Astrid turned to him. "For what?" she asked.

"For helping my Mom take care of me, you know...while I was ill," Hiccup said. "I know I was out of it for the most part, but...I still felt you holding my hand when I was in pain, and...I don't know. I guess I just wanted to say thanks."

Astrid stared at him for just a moment, before shoving him roughly. "Of course," she said. "Did you really think I was going to just leave you alone while you were sick like you were?"

"Not really," Hiccup answered. "I guess I just thought that..."

"What?" Astrid asked. "You just thought that what?"

"Nothing," Hiccup said. "Thank you is all, Astrid."

Astrid smiled, and shrugged. "Hey," she said, "that's what I'm here for, right?"

Hiccup nodded. "Right," he agreed.

He knew that she meant it, too.

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><p><strong>Author's Notes: <strong>

**Alright, so this is it, everyone! "Wolves" is officially finished! :D *streamers* Just so you all know, I'm turning "If You Will Marry Me" into a chapter story, and I should start posting that soon, so...**

**Yeaaaaaah. :D I'm also doing a new one called "Don't You Dare Call Me 'Son'!" which should be out soon as well. Maybe within two weeks if everything goes as planned. :D I hope you enjoyed this story! :D **

**Until next story! :D **

**-BeyondTheClouds777**


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